Field Event Athletes Put on a Show In Ostrava

By Adam Kopet

Juan Miguel Echevarria impressed again at the Ostrava Golden Spike, part of the IAAF World Challenge series in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Three days after a big wind-aided jump of 28-11.50 (8.83m) in the long jump in Stockholm, he continued with a string of impressive jumps.

The 19-year-old Cuban opened the competition with a jump of 27-6.75 (8.40m). That would have been enough to win the competition, but Echevarria continued with jumps of 28-0.25 (8.54m) and 28-5 (8.66m). The latter ranks him 10th on the world all-time performer list.

Echevarria passed his fourth round jump before jumping out to 28-0.50 (8.54m) for a second time in the fifth round. On his final jump, he jumped out near the nine-meter mark, but it was a foul. All of his jumps were wind-legal efforts.

In all, Echevarria became the first person to jump over 8.5 meters with legal wind three times in a single competition since 1997.

Echevarria's series today:

8.40m (-1.0m/s)
8.54m (0.3m/s)
8.66m (1.0m/s)
P
8.54m (-1.6m/s)
X

The last person to record three wind-legal 8.50m+ jumps in one competition was Ivan Pedroso in Padua back in 1997 (a year before Echevarria was born).

— Jon Mulkeen (@Statman_Jon) June 13, 2018

He also became the longest jumping teenager ever, passing Carl Lewis.

Echevarria's 8.66m is also the longest ever wind-legal jump by a teenager, surpassing the previous best of 8.62m set by @Carl_Lewis back in 1981.

— Jon Mulkeen (@Statman_Jon) June 13, 2018

Luvo Manyonga of South Africa finished second with a best of 27-3.25 (8.31m).

RESULTS

The finish of the men's high jump proved exciting as Danil Lysenko, a neutral athlete from Russia, and Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar dueled for the meet record. Barshim had a clean card until 7-8 (2.34m) when he missed his first attempt. Lysenko, who had only one miss early in the competition, went clear on his first attempt.

With at least a top-two finish guaranteed, Barshim passed his remaining attempts at 7-8. The bar then went up to 7-8.75 (2.36m). Again Barshim missed his first attempt. Lysenko cleared on his second attempt, keeping his lead and breaking the meet record. Again, Barshim passed.

The bar went up to 7-9.75 (2.38m). Barshim had one attempt remaining, having used his first two at the lower heights. Lysenko could make three attempts. It was a gamble for the world-leading high jumper, but it paid off as Barshim used his one remaining attempt in the competition to clear 7-9.75. He took the win, as Lysenko could not clear the new height.

The men's shot put also saw meet record performances. Tom Walsh of New Zealand came away the winner with a best of 72-8.50 (22.16m). Also breaking the meet record while setting a Polish national record was Michal Haratyk with a put of 72-5.25 (22.08m). Ryan Crouser only managed one legal mark in the competition. He placed fourth with a put of 70-3.75 (21.43m). He missed out on third by about an inch.

On the track, the men's 100 meters featured two sections. The first section was a send off for Kim Collins, the Saint Kitts and Nevis sprinter who won the 2003 IAAF World Outdoor Championships in the short sprint. He won that section in his final appearance in Ostrava, running 10.41. Justin Gatlin won the second section in a season's best 10.03.

Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia dropped down to the 800 meters after racing the 5,000 at the Prefontaine Classic. She finished fourth in 2:01.51. Rababe Arafi of Morocco won with a strong final 300 meters in 1:59.20.