Ukraine Stars Excel as Europe’s Elite Excite Before Munich 2022
Europe’s top athletes are already hitting top form, including utter brilliance from a Ukrainian duo ahead of European Championships Munich 2022.
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Showing great composure in trying circumstances, Yaroslava Mahuchikh secured an emotional high jump gold for the depleted Ukraine team at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade.
After a three-day journey from war torn Ukraine to the Serbian capital which she described as “hundreds of phone calls, many changes of direction, explosions, fires, and air raid sirens,” Mahuchikh soared over a world lead of 2.02m at her first attempt.
Special mention also must go to her teammate Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk who came away with a sensational silver medal in the triple jump.
The plaudits deservedly went to Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas who took gold with an outright world record of 15.74m. However, Bekh-Romanchuk drew on her undoubted talent and mental strength with a jump of 14.74m to take silver in only her second senior event and her premiere internationally for the Ukraine.
MONDO MAKES IT LOOK EASY
Reigning Olympic and European pole vault champion Armand “Mondo” Duplantis produced a stunning climax to the Championships in Belgrade when clearing a world record mark of 6.20m on Sunday.
The Swedish star athlete’s record-breaking performance comes only days after clearing his previous best of 6.19m at the World Indoor Tour Silver meeting in the Serbian capital earlier in the month.
JACOBS JOTS UP ANOTHER WIN
Meanwhile, Italian star Marcell Jacobs Italian followed up his surprise Olympic 100m triumph with victory in the 60m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in a European record of 6.41.
After his latest success, Jacobs was already looking forward to Munich 2022: “I love these moments when I am winning. It is just amazing. The next milestone will be the World Championships and the European Championships and the goal is to take another medal,” said Jacobs. "I have a rare opportunity to get everything there is to offer this summer and I want to take it,” he said.
IVANA IMPRESSIVE
In similar fashion to five years ago at the European Indoor Championships, the three-syllabled chants of ‘I-va-na’ rang out around the arena after the completion of the long jump final as Serbian star Ivana Vuleta basked in the acclaim of a near capacity home crowd.
Five years after winning the European indoor title at this same venue with an amazing 7.24m, Vuleta successfully defended her world indoor title with a best effort of 7.06m - a world lead and her best mark since winning that European indoor title five years ago.
GREEK GOODNESS
Greek athlete Miltiadis Tentoglou continued his impressive form and celebrated his 24th birthday by leaping to long jump gold.
Tentoglou took the world indoor title with his second attempt, smashing a host of records in the process with his mark of 8.55m.
SWISS SURPRISE
Sprinter Mujinga Kambundji pulled off the biggest surprise of the Championships to take the women’s 60m title in a blistering time of 6.96.
Only the fifth fastest qualifier, Swiss star Kambundji had to contend with outside lane eight. But without any distractions, produced the quickest start, with a reaction time of a mere 0.116, and coasted to a serene victory from the start.
In the lead up to the men’s 60m final, France’s Cyréna Samba-Mayela stormed to victory in the women's 60m hurdles and Mariano García survived a super quick first two laps to win a rare gold medal for Spain in the men’s 800m final.