 |
| Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland claimed the hammer gold medal with a throw of 74.29m on Sunday. |
The former world record holder Anita Wlodarczyk dominated the competition with the best three throws and five of the best six as she won her first European gold medal and Poland won their first hammer title.
The 2009 world champion, who was a European bronze medallist in 2010, took an immediate lead with a 74.02m opening throw. Only fifth in last year's World Championships in Daegu, she was keen to bounce back and she backed up her first round throw with a 73.17m in the second.
That wasn't the best throw of the round though as Martina Hrasnova, the Slovakian who was the 2009 World championships bronze medallist, moved into a clear and challenging silver medal position with a season's best of 73.34m.
She had a PB of 76.90m but failed to make the European final in 2002 and 2006 and served a doping ban from 2003 to 2005.
Wlodarczyk kept her radar around the 73 mark as she threw 73.29m but Hrasnova's was a no throw.
Anna Bulgarkova, a Russian who has a 73.79m PB was lying second after the first round with 70.54m but she had dropped to fourth by the time she threw in the third round. The 2005 World youth and 2006 world junior silver medallist in went back into a medal position with her 71.47m throw.
In the fourth round, Wlodarczyk moved her sights a little further, and the Pole who has a lifetime best of 78.30m, improved her lead to 74.29m, and then the fifth round was almost as good and her 73.93m was the last of the quality throws. The final three throws of the competition though were all no throws as first Bulgarkova and then Hrasnova and then finally the Pole, knowing she had gold in the bag, finally had a bad throw.
It didn't matter though as she was clearly the best on the day.
She said, 'This was an important step before the Olympics. I have trained hard for this and London. I'm happy because I won and because I now know what I can do. I know I can through further in London.'
Hrasnova wasn't too disappointed at being runner-up. 'It was my best this year but I can do better but I'm happy with a silver medal.'
Germany's Kathrin Klaas, a top eight placer in the last two World Championships and sixth in the 2006 Europeans, maintained her consistent form to finish fourth with 70.44m, and had two other throws around the 70m mark.
Türkiye's Tugge Sahutoglu, who set a PB 74.17m this year but her only final experience was a fifth way back in the 2005 World Youth Championships, had her best senior result to date to finish fifth.
France's Stephanie Falzon, a finalist in the 2009 and 2011 World Championships but in her first European final at the third attempt finished sixth with 68.03m.
Seventh place went down to the second best throw as both Eva Orban and Zalina Marghieva threw 67.92m.
Orban, the Hungarian national record holder with 71.33m had finished 12th in 2010, her only previous final experience and her 66.83m was superior to the Moldavan's, who thus matched her eighth place in the 2011 World championships. She was fifth in the 2010 Europeans.
Berta Castells, the Spanish record holder went one place better than she did in 2010 with her 67.42m which fell just half a metre short of making the last eight.
Also close was Romanian Bianca Perie, who was sixth in last year's world championships, The European junior champion in both 2007 and 2009 and the the European Under-23 champion in 2011 and had an off day and was tenth well down on her fourth in 2010.
Sophie Hitchon, the British record holder was 11th.
The World Junior champion in 2010 and the European Under 23 medallist in 2011, also just missed out on a top eight place with her 67.17m. Tereza Kralova, a Czech with a 69.20m PB, who was only seventh in last year's European under 23 competition was last.
World record holder and defending champion Betty Heidler failed to make it through to the final.