ROME — Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh earned her war-afflicted country its first gold medal of the European Athletics championships in Rome when she won the women’s high jump. Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith claimed a second continental 100m gold ahead of the July 26-August 11 Paris Olympics.
“I came to Rome to defend my title and to become the double European champion and that is what I managed tonight,” said Mahuchikh according to AFP.
Mahuchikh added: “Now I have time to recover even more and to prepare for the main competition of the year.
Asher-Smith, who had not won a major title since taking 200m gold at the 2019 World Athletics Championships, got off to a slow start before surging past her rivals to win in 10.99 seconds.
“Winning in Rome is just a step towards Paris, a step in the right direction,” she said according to Reuters.
“I´m in a great place. That´s not normally my style of race but I´m happy I was able to run another sub-11 performance in a different way.”
The 28-year-old, who won bronze in the women’s 4x100m relay in Rio and Tokyo, split with coach John Blackie after 19 years in October last year and moved to Texas to prepare for Paris under the guidance of Edrick Floreal.
“We´ve worked really hard on my top-end speed, on my form and relaxation. I didn´t panic in my running,” said Asher-Smith.
The athletics competition at the Paris Olympics will take place from Aug. 1-11 at the Stade de France.
She timed 10.99 seconds for victory. Poland’s Ewa Swoboda claimed silver in 11.03sec in a photo finish with Italian Zaynab Dosso.
“I can definitely run faster than that,” said Asher-Smith.
“This is a progression towards the Olympic Games. I am glad to be in this shape after some months of a new set-up, it is really hard to achieve.”
There was drama in the men’s hammer throw as Nowicki, the reigning Olympic champion and five-time world medallist, left it late for his third continental title.
Sitting in third spot going into his sixth and final throw, the 35-year-old Pole pulled everything out of the bag with an effort of 80.95m to jump into top spot.
It pushed Hungary’s Bence Halasz into second (80.49m), with Ukrainian Mykhaylo Kokhan taking bronze (80.18).
Nowicki’s team-mate Pawel Fajdek, the five-time world champion and 2016 European title winner, finished sixth with 77.50m.
“The thing I really like about this championship and this particular title was that competition – I like to compete like this!” said Nowicki.
“It was very exciting until the last attempts so it was a great test before the Olympic Games.”
Spain’s Ana Peleteiro-Compaore, the Olympic bronze medallist, sailed out to 14.85m on the fourth time of asking to seal victory in the women’s triple jump.
There looked like there was also double gold for soon-to-be Olympic hosts France.
But Alice Finot’s victory in the 3000m steeplechase was scratched after she strayed inside the track.
The win was instead handed to German Gesa Krause in 9:18.06, with Britain’s Elizabeth Bird taking silver and Romania’s Stella Rutto bronze. Albania’s defending champion Luiza Gega was fourth.
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