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| Kevin Mayer of France leads the decathlon after seven events with 5821 points. |
Kevin Mayer’s progress to the European junior decathlon title looks unstoppable after the Frenchman posted personal bests in the first two events in Tallinn this morning to add 1627 to his overnight score, bringing his seven-event total to 5821.
But Johannes Hock is not giving up the fight. With the pole vault, javelin and 1500m to come, Hock has moved into second, just 20 points behind Mayer, with his German teammate Brugger in third on 5734.
After improving his lifetime best in the long jump and shot yesterday to lead Brugger by 98 points after day one, Mayer extended his advantage in the hurdles with a blistering 14.09, more than three tenths inside his PB, and then threw 41.00 in the discus to take his lead before the pole vault to 20 with three events to go.
Mayer’s previous discus best was 38.64 and in this sort of form the world junior champion now has within his sights, not only on the gold medal and the championships record of 8114, but Torsten Voss’s long-standing world junior record of 8397 which has stood since 1982.
Mayer has so far produced PBs in four events – long jump, shot put, 110m hurdles, and discus. And his best marks in the pole vault and 1500m are both better than Voss managed when he set the world figures in Erfurt 29 years ago.
Hock also had a wonderful morning on the final day of the championships. He clocked a PB of 14.45 in the hurdles and overcame the pouring rain to exceed his previous discus best with 47.37.
Brugger ran 14.56, and threw 44.91 to remain on course for a medal. He is 65 ahead of Dutchman Mark Jacobs.
Sprint relays
Germany looked the class act of the women’s 4x100 semi-finals as their quartet won the second heat by 15 metres in 43.83, the only sub-44s time of the round.
Netherlands won the first heat in 44.53 thanks to a foursome containing heptathlon champion Dafne Schippers and double sprint silver medallist Jamile Samuels. But distaster followed for the Dutch when they were disqualified and ruled out of the final.
With the Dutch eliminated, Italy could well emerge as Germany’s closest rivals in this afternoon’s final after they finished second to the Nethlerands in 44.56.
Britain could also make a bid for a medal. They made it through without double sprint champion Jodie Williams who will be added to the line-up this afternoon.
Britain look good in the men’s event too after a slick quartet missing 200 champion David Bolarinwa dipped under 40 seconds to win the first semi-final in 39.85. Britain set the European junior record 0f 38.05 in 2000, and the championships recod of 39.24 in 2001.
The French brought out their big guns for the second semi but were far less impressive as Jeffrey John took off way too early at the second change and had to check dramatically before 100 champion Jimmy Vicault could reach him.
They made it home, however, ahead of Poland in 40.15, but will have to improve to challenge the Britons.