Issue Five - Big Marks Begin

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While the start of the season was slow, many top throws have emerged

The International Scene

World Record Holder Tatyana Lysenko (RUS)

Tatyana Lysenko (RUS), a Russian of just 21 years of age, has emerged as one of the world's top women. Lysenko had a personal best of 71.54 meters last season and threw 71.49 meters earlier this season, but she had a breakthrough at the Moscow Championships in June. She improved to 75.95 meters and, in the process, set a new Russian national record and moved to number two on the all-time lists. Two weeks later she tied her new national record while beating Olga Kuzenkova (RUS) at the Russian national championships (Kuzenkova improved her season best to 73.59 meters at the meet). Then, just two days later on July 15, she had her biggest breakthrough: she threw a new world record of 77.06 meters at the Vladimir Kuts Memorial in Moscow (RUS). Not only did she add nearly a meter to Mihaela Melinte's (ROM) world record, she also had a great series. She had five legal throws, all of which were over 74 meters. Two throws passed 76 meters and another broke 75 meters.

A few more women have also had signifigant improvements. American Erin Gilreath easily won the US National Championships on June 25 and improved to a then world leading mark of 73.87 meters on her final throw. That mark also set a new national record. Earlier on that day, Ester Balassini of Italy also set a national record at the Italian national championshpis with a throw of 73.59 meters. She eclipsed 71 meters to win the Mediterranean games and her most recent meet. Lastly, Zhang Wenxiu of China has improved to 73.24 meters. That mark betters her national record as well as the Asia record and the world junior record.

At the Zagreb Grand Prix (CRO), Manueal Montebrun (FRA) improved her French national record to 74.66 meters. She held the previous national record at 74.50 meters from the 2003 season. In second place was Yipsi Moreno (CUB) at 73.88 meters. Kamila Skolimowska (POL) also set a national record in Madrid with a throw of 73.88 meters. Most recently, Olga Tsander (BLR) improved to 76.66 meters at the Ovsyanik Memorial in Belarus. That mark passes Melinte's previous world record and is the second best throw of all-time behind Lysenko.

The women have not been the only ones throwing far. Ivan Tikhon has returned to Belarus after several competitions abroad, and in his first meet at home he improved his season best to 83.68 meters on the 25th of June. But, that was not all Tikhon had to offer. A week later Tikhon improved not only his season best, but also his personal best at the Belarussian national championships in Minsk. His best throw of 86.73 meters set a net national record and moves him to number two on the all-time world lists. He is just one centimeter from Yuri Sedych's world record set in 1986. Fellow Belarussian Vadim Devyatovskiy, fourth in Athens, also improved his season best to 82.14 meters at the June 25 meet and to 83.68 meters at the Belarussian national championships. Then then improved again to 84.90 meters on the 21st of July. That mark is the fourth best mark of all-time.

Szymon Ziolkowski's (POL) season best still sits at 79 meters, but he has registered two more quality wins at the Josef Odlozil Memorial Grand Prix meet in Prague (CZE), the Vardinoyiannia International Meeting in Réthimno (GRE) as well as Karelia Games (FIN). He has now won his past four competitions, all against good competition. Also improving among the men is Andrey Skvaruk (UKR). In just his second meet of the season, the 38-year-old Ukrainian improved to 81.00 meters to win his national championships. That is the fourth furthest mark of the season.

The Juniors and Youth
Last week saw the top youth (U18) throwers in the world arrive in Marrakesh, Morocco for the IAAF World Youth Championships. Bianca Perie (ROM) won the girl's competition with a throw of 62.27 meters. Perie, only 15 years old, has a season best of 65.13 meters. Anna Bulgakova (RUS) was a close second at 62.05 meters. Sándor Pálhegyi (HUN) dominated the men's competition. He lead the whole competition and finished with a championships record throw of 81.89 meters with the 5 kilogram implement. Artem Vynnyk (UKR) was second at 77.88 meters.

The European Junior (U20) Championships will take place this weekend in Kaunas, Lithuania. Kristóf Németh (HUN) leads all qualifiers with a season best of 77.39 meters. He has thrown over 73 meters three times this season, and surpassed 76 meters eight times. Behind Németh are several athletes bunched together including three over 74 meters: Mikhail Levin (RUS), Yevgeniy Aydamirov (RUS), and Marcel Lomnicky(SKV). Sergey Litvinov (BLR) also may be a dark horse. Lirvinov, the son of the former world record holder and gold medalist, has competed only sparsely this season and placed well at last year's IAAF World Junior Championships. Another Hungarian, Noémi Németh, leads the female qualifiers. She has a season best of 64.09 meters. Laura Gibilisco (ITA) has has thrown over 64 meters this season, while another five athletes have surpassed 60 meters.

The American Scene
The American championships were also held in late June. In most events, a top-three finish is needed to secure a spot on the US World Champinoship team. However, since few have surpassed the 'A' Standard, only that is typically required to make it on the US team. As mentioned above, Erin Gilreath won the women's title by setting a new American record. Bethany Hart took second place with a new personal best of 69.15 meters, and Amber Cambell was third. However, Hart has yet to meet the 'A' Standard of 69.50 meters. In the past month she has come closer with a throw of 69.46 meters at the USATF Mid-summer Classic at Mt. SAC (USA). If she fails to meet the 'A' Standard, fourth place finisher Loree Smith, who has thrown over 70 meters this season, will be the third member of the US team.

The two favorites in the men's competition did not fair well. Kiwbe Johnson, who tops the 2005 performance lists, fouled out, while A.G. Kruger placed only third. James Parker was able to defend his title from last year with a throw of 74.15 meters. Second place went to Jacob Freeman. Freeman, the US High School record holder, threw a personal best of 72.60 meters. Kruger placed third. Since only Parker and Kruger have surpassed the 'A' Standard, they will represent America in Helsinki. Also of note is that Travis Nutter improved his personal best to 74.86 meters at the USATF Mid-summer Classic in July.

At the World Youth Championships in Marrakech, Morocco the US was represented by only one athlete: Walter Henning. Henning is a sophomore from St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, NY and holds the national high school records in for the freshman and sophomore classes. His personal best is 226'09" with the 12# hammer. At the World Youth Championships, where they throw the 5 kilogram hammer, Henning threw 70.91 meters 232'07" and placed eigth. That is the highest finish by an American man at an international championship since Lance Deal's silver medal performance in 1996. Only one women, Maureen Griffen (3rd at the 1998 Junior WC) has placed higher than Henning at a international championship.

The Coming Weeks
Few major hammer competitions will take place over the next month as athletes finish their preperations for the World Championships in Helsinki. This weekend, Kaunas, Lithuania will hsot the European Junior Championships. Since the hammer is a European dominated event, the European Junior Championships always provide a preview to the future of the hammer throw.

Related Information
Top Lists/Rankings
» IAAF 2005 Top Lists (Men | Women)
» IAAF 2005 Junior Top Lists (Men | Women)
» IAAF 2005 Youth Top Lists (Men | Women)
» IAAF Hammer Rankings (Men | Women)

Recent Results
» Ovsyanik Memorial (BLR) 21 July 2005
» Meeting de Madrid (ESP) 16 July 2005
» Vladimir Kuts Memorial (RUS) 15 July 2005
» European U23 Championships (GER) 14-17 July 2005
» Zagreb Grand Prix (CRO) 11 July 2005
» Russian National Championships (RUS) 10-13 July 2005
» Vardinoyiannia International Meeting (GRE) 10 July 2005
» Memorial Joseda Odlozila (CZE) 27 June 2005
» US National Championships (USA) 23-26 June 2005

Upcoming Meets
» European Junior Championships (LTU)

News articles
» More superb throwing in Belarus IAAF 21 July 2005
» Lysenko demolishes Melinte's World Record IAAF 16 July 2005
» Lysenko closes in on World Record IAAF 14 July 2005
» Tikhon 1cm away from Sedykh's 'ancient' World Record IAAF 5 July 2005
» Balassini throws Hammer world lead IAAF 26 June 2005