Euro Winter Throwing Challenge underway

The fourth European Winter Throwing Challenge got underway yesterday at the Matthew Micallef St John Stadium in Marsa.

The annual event that focuses on the throwing disciplines in athletics has attracted over 190 athletes from 34 countries.

Unfortunately, the strong winds that blew across the stadium for most of the day limited the possibility of setting new championship records but those present were still treated to a wonderful spectacle of athletics.

The first event of the day - the female discus - saw a tight battle between the German Franka Dietzsch and the Russian Natalya Sadova. In the end it was the former who emerged winner with a margin of just four centimetres. Dietzsch's winning throw was of 60.32 metres.

In the male category of the same event, Estonian Gerd Kanter retained the title he won last year with a throw of 63.21 metres.

As expected, the female shot put was dominated by Ukrainian thrower Vita Pavlysh, one of the world's leading athletes in this discipline.

Her throw of 19.39 was easily the best effort of the day as she collected her second gold medal in as many weeks having also claimed top spot at last week's World Indoor Championships.

New national mark

Maltese interest was centred around sole representative Jean Paul Callus in the javelin and he did not disappoint.

Talking to The Times earlier in the week, he said that his aim was that of breaking the national record and he did just that with his first throw. Indeed, at 59.93 metres the new national best stands well over six metres ahead of the previous best.

The event was surprisingly won by young Latvian Vadims Vasileysius whose throw sailed to 82.44 metres. He was followed by compatriot Ainars Kovals (82.13 metres) whilst the reigning European junior champion Teemu Wirkkala (80.87) of Finland finished third.