European champion Natalia Bukowiecka held off European leader Yemi Mary John in the women’s 400m at the Irena Szewinska Memorial, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, in Bydgoszcz on Friday (29) evening.
Bukowiecka ran an aggressive first 300 metres and led into the home straight ahead of John who couldn’t make any inroads into the Pole’s lead. Bukowiecka won in 50.12 with John second in 50.36, the second fastest time of her career.
"I'm pleased with the result, but also with the style in which I achieved it. I ran very well. I felt I started well and saved my energy for the end. This gave me confidence that I'll do even better in future races.
“I think this will be a good season. What I'm showing in training allows me to be optimistic about my future performances,” said Bukowiecka, who will defend her European title in Birmingham this August.
Fellow Pole Klaudia Kazimierska also came away with a commanding victory in the women’s 1500m. Kazimierska led at the bell with four athletes in her slipstream before pulling away convincingly on the last lap, just ducking under the 4:00-barrier with 3:59.99 to win by just over four seconds from Brit Erin Wallace in 4:04.01
“I was supposed to set a meet record, a time better than 3:58:59. Despite everything, I'm very pleased with myself. I ran well. I'm just learning to run at the front, and here I had to contend with that,” said Kazimierska.
However, there was a mild surprise in the 100m hurdles with Hungary’s Luca Kozak nudging out 2022 European champion and home favourite Pia Skrzyszowska.
Kozak won in a meeting record of 12.66 by just 0.01 ahead of Skrzyszowska to reverse the order of the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich where Skrzyszowska won gold at the age of 21 ahead of Kozak.
Other highlights from an excellent meeting from a European standpoint included European U23 champion Jonas Phijffers from the Netherlands winning the 400m in a meeting record of 45.04 and British wins for Ben Pattison in the 800m in 1:45.58 and Alistair Chalmers in the 400m hurdles in 48.71.
Full results here
Photos courtesy of Rafal Oleksiewicz