Great throwing results from Halle, Germany 27. May 08

Saturday's 34th throwing meeting in Halle, Germany, brought a new personal best for Germany's World Discus silver medallist Robert Harting (67.63m.)

Poland's Piotr Malachowski finished less than a metre behind Harting to take second place with a new Polish record of 66.65m and Ukraine's most gifted 17-year-old, Mykyta Nesterenko, set another record, this time the World Junior 1.75kg Discus record for his 70.13m throw - the former World Junior mark, held by Estonian Margus Hunt, was 67.32m (Beijing 2006).

European Cup silver medallist Markus Esser produced the best Hammer throw (76.50m) and last year's European Junior Javelin Champion, Matthias De Zordo (GER), showed a great improvement with lifetime best throw of 82.51m that beat the much hyped Australian World leader, Jarrod Bannister, who settled for second place with 81.76m.

In the women events World Discus Champion Franka Dietzsch did not compete because of health issues and so the Discus win went to European Champion Darya Pishchalnikova of Russia (63.98m) ahead of experienced Romanian Nicoleta Grasu (63.06).

Germany's other throwing World Champion, Betty Heidler, won the Hammer (72.73) a full 2m ahead of Poland´s Kamila Skolimowska (70.75) and European Javelin record holder Christina Obergfoll started her season with a strong 63.86m to beat Romanian Monica Stoian (61.97m) and German Katarina Molitor who threw a personal best of 61.74m.

There were two more lifetime best performances in the women's Shot Put, where World Indoor finalist Christina Schwanitz (GER) registered a 19.23m throw just 16cm ahead of European Cup Champion Denise Hinrichs personal best of 19.07m.

european-athletics.org