World hammer champion moves to 10th on world all-time list with best throw in the world since 2008

A round-up of some of the top athletics performances from the past week, including a hammer throw of 83.93m by Pawel Fajdek and a time of 11.11 by Desiree Henry to put her fifth on the UK 100m all-time list.

Track and field

Szczecin, Poland, August 9

World champion Pawel Fajdek showed he will be a big favourite as he defends his hammer title in Beijing as he improved his world lead to first 83.83m and then 83.93m. Both were Polish records and place him 1oth all-time.

Second in the IAAF challenge event was British record-holder Nick Miller, who though eight metres back with 75.56m gained some more notable scalps in his breakthrough season.

It was a great meeting for Polish athletes as world record holder Anita Wlodarczyk easily won the women’s event in 76.70m from former record-holder Betty Heidler. With one of her best competitions to date, Britain’s Sophie Hitchon finished a fine third in a season’s best 72.23m.

Other Polish successes included Adam Kszczot, who won the 800m in 1:44.67, while double Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski was first in the shot with 20.69m and Piotr Malachowski won the discus with 67.49m.

Joanna J wik set a world leading time at 600m in 85.04.

Britain’s Will Sharman won the 110m hurdles in 13.74 while Jess Coulson was second in the 3000m in a PB 9:11.28.

Kuortane Games, Finland, August 8

There was a British one-two at 100m with Sean Safo-Antwi beating Ojie Edoburun, running 10.23 to the European junior champion’s season’s best of 10.24.

A top-class javelin was won by Thomas Rohler’s 89.27m.

Mannheim, Germany, August 8

Desiree Henry made a huge breakthrough. Already a member of Britain’s 4x100m relay team in Beijing, she moved to joint fifth all-time in the UK rankings with a time of 11.11 for 100m to narrowly lose to Germany’s 2010 European champion Verena Sailer’s 11.10.

She also showed major improvement at 200m for her first sub-23 as she won in 22.94.

UK Women’s League, Premier Division, Eton, August 8

Dina Asher-Smith’s 22.71 overall league record at 200m and role in a club record 45.15 4x100m victory couldn’t prevent Blackheath and Bromley finishing last and getting relegated.

Serita Solomon also won the hurdles and B 100m for Blackheath.

In the 800m there was a divisional best for Windsor s Leah Barrow with a mark of 2:03.22.

Thames Valley easily won the match on the day and even more easily won the league with Birchfield second and Woodford Green with Essex Ladies third.

Martin Duff’s report and Jeremy Hemming photographs will appear in this week’s magazine.

British Athletics League, Premier Division, Lee Valley, August 8

Birchfield won the match on the day with a good all-round team performance to snatch overall victory by a point.

Newham’s Beijing-bound Rabah Yousif won the 400m in 45.71 and then combined with Tom Burton, Niall Flannery and Michael Warner to set a league record 3:06.94 in the 4x400m relay.

Martin Duff’s report and Gary Mitchell’s photographs will appear in this week’s issue.

Leiria, Portugal, August 8/9

In this two-day throws meeting, Brett Morse continued his consistent form with a a 62.85m throw for second place in the discus on the first day of competition behind Daniel Jasinski’s 65.93m.

On the second day Jasinski won with 65.58m with Morse only fifth.

Jade Lally won the women’s discus on the second day with a throw of 59.78m.

Sarah Holt won the women’s hammer with 65.98m on Sunday after winning on Saturday with 65.33m. Chris Shorthouse was second in the hammer on day one with a PB 70.18m while Michael Bomba was second in on day two with 68.98m.

Russian Championships, Cheboksary, August 3-5

The highlight of a disappointing Russian Championships was Anna Chicherova’s two-metre high jump victory.

Former double world 1500m champion Tatyana Tomashova, who has served a drugs ban, won the 1500m at the age of 40 in 4:04.48.

Road

Darlington 10km, August 9

Marc Scott won a competitive men’s race in 30:42 while Justina Heslop easily won the women’s race in 34:45.

Les Venmore’s report and David Hewitson’s photographs will appear in this week’s AW magazine.

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