Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh strengthened his position at No.6 on the world all-time list in the discus, impressing with a 72.34m national and meeting record at the Boris Hanzekovic Memorial – this season’s fourth World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting – in Zagreb on Saturday (24).

The 2022 world champion set his previous best of 71.86m in Johvi in 2023 and had previously been joint sixth in history. But the 26-year-old now sits solo in that position, behind only world record-holder Mykolas Alekna, Matthew Denny, Jurgen Schult, Virgilijus Alekna and Gerd Kanter.

Any of Ceh’s four valid throws would have been enough to secure his fourth consecutive win in Zagreb and he backed up his 72.34m – released with a roar in the final round of the competition – with marks of 70.06m, 69.05m and 64.92m. Romania’s Alin Firfirica placed second with 64.80m.

“I’m not surprised with the result because I was just waiting for this,” said Ceh. “The training was so good, compared to last year. I’m preparing for the World Championships in Tokyo, but it’s still a long way – four months to go – a lot of time to prepare even more. 

“(Mykolas) Alekna set the world record in Oklahoma, but I think this is the farthest throw in Europe in 35 years. It’s a great achievement and a very long distance.”

In the women’s event, home discus star Sandra Elkasevic secured her 12th victory at this meeting. The multiple world and Olympic champion threw 65.03m with her opening attempt and won by almost a metre ahead of her compatriot Marija Tolj (64.04m).

France’s Yann Chaussinand improved his PB and world lead from 81.56m to 81.91m to win the hammer, his performance adding 14cm to a meeting record that had been set in 2009. Mykhaylo Kokhan also surpassed 80 metres and was runner-up with 80.36m.

USA’s Olympic fourth-place finisher Payton Otterdahl won a close shot put contest at the Zagreb fountains on Thursday. Both Otterdahl and New Zealand’s multiple world indoor champion Tom Walsh threw 21.71m, with Otterdahl clinching the crown on countback thanks to his superior second-best mark – 21.12m to 21.09m.

The women’s high jump also took place ahead of the main meeting and that competition – held indoors on Friday due to the weather – was won by Serbia’s world U20 champion Angelina Topic with a 1.94m clearance.

Jamaica’s Olympic silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts topped the triple jump back in the stadium on Saturday, leaping 14.54m to win ahead of Slovenia’s Neja Filipic with a PB of 14.42m, while Japan’s Yuki Hashioka won the long jump with an eight-metre leap. He retired from the competition in the third round but held on to victory by two centimetres ahead of Croatia’s Filip Pravdica (7.98m). 

New Zealand’s Tori Moorby denied Sara Kolak a home win in the javelin, throwing 61.96m to the 2016 Olympic champion’s 61.20m.

Source: World Athletics