European Athletics U23 Championships 2021 - Tallinn, Estonia - Day 2

[RunUnlimited]

The place to leave comments for day 2 of the European U23 Championships.

Lots of finals to look forward to, including some big medal chances for Great Britain in the men's and women's 100 m finals that close out the day. In particular, Jeremiah Azu's 10.19 PB run served as a notice of intent for the 20 year old to the rest of the competitors. Kristal Awuah also has a great chance to medal, though the contest looks closer there for her than in the men's.

The conclusion of the heptathlon will also occur on Friday and Holly Mills, after a disappointing high jump, recovered somewhat with a good shot put and 200 m. However Sulek is looking very good too and managed to extend her lead at the end of day to over 150 points. The long jump and javelin will be key to how the final standings will be, especially with Mills recent improvement in the long jump from her new take off foot, and the javelin PB set at the same event. However Kate O'Conner, despite a below par first day by her standards, will always be a threat with her monster javelin and decent 800 m. And Sarah Lagger is seeing a return to some of her form as a junior and will be also in the mix.

Also starting on day 2 are the sprint hurdles for men and women, with the heats in the morning and semi-finals in the evening, with Great Britain co-captain Tade Ojora setting off on his campaign in heat 3, while team mate and European junior champion Josh Zeller is in the 5th and final heat. Meanwhile in the women's hurdles, Jenna Blundell and Anastasia Davies represent GB, with the likely battle for gold being between Poland's Pia Skrzyszowska and France's Cyrena Samba-Myela, while Zoe Sedney of the Netherlands and Laetica Bapte, also from France, head those likely going for bronze.

A big highlight on Friday evening will be the men's hammer final and to see whether Mykhaylo Kokhan can keep his perfect score of setting championship records, world age group, European age group records, personal best, or all three at the same time (!) in the major championships he has entered in his career. He is one of the most expected favourites for gold in these U23's and it'll be fun to see what he has instore for the audience.

[Grassmarket]

Off we go again with a low key (ie no Brits involved) javelin competition. Hoping for another day of British success and also hoping, but not really expecting another day of free of technical problems.

100m Hurdles coming up in 10 mins for first track action.

Anastasia Davis first Brit involved in the 100h - 13.45 Q.

Jenna Blundell 13.43 Q. Both Brits will be doing well to make the final though.

Tade Ojora wins his heat easily in the 110m 13.68

[RunUnlimited]

Tade Ojora made running 13.68 (-0.4 m/s) in his heat of the 110 m hurdles look ridiculously easy.... If the track and weather conditions remain as they are come the final, I think he's in form to possibly challenge the championship record of 13.23 set 18 years ago by Ladji Doucoure in Bydgoszcz

[carterhatch]

@Rununlimted... I know you like hurdles and that is a big shout for Ojora! Can I persuade you to set up a UK Sprint Hurdles - state of play, as it is one of few missing from the series, and you have a real grip on the event ...

[Grassmarket]

Joshua Zeller in the 110m 2nd in 13.80.

[RunUnlimited]

In the final 110 m hurdles heat, Josh Zeller, after a faulty start, comes through behind the possible event favourite, Spain's Asier Martinez, to qualify for the semi finals later today,

[RunUnlimited]

Looks like Molly Caudery has done enough to make it into the pole vault final here in qualifying. The required Q height is a pretty stiff 4.40 m, but 4.20 m is looking like the height were we're likely to get at least 12 competitors for the final.... and Caudery cleared it at the first attempt.

[Grassmarket]

Erin Wallace 1500m gets through with a couple of good changes of pace, was a nervous rush for the line with 5 going for 4 places.

Molly Caudery Q for the PV with a big group at 4.20.

[RunUnlimited]

Erin Wallace makes it through into the women's 1500 m final, just fractionally behind Poland's Klaudia Kazimierska, as both crossed the line in 4:17, quite quick for heat.

[RunUnlimited]

Brilliant from Rebekah Walton, showing that her form in the British Championships was no fluke. With her first throw of the qualification group A, she's improved her PB to 54.98 m and she is currently leading all throwers too. I can see Ursus being pretty happy with this bit of throwing news.

[RunUnlimited]

Chaos in the 2nd 800 m heat as there are several fallers in the second lap, but fortunately for Finely McLear, he was well clear of it and on his way to qualification.

[MysteryBrick]

Pattison looked absolutely class off a quick pace in that third 800m heat - I get the feeling had he needed to he'd have won with relative ease.

[RunUnlimited]

Ben Pattison makes it 3 Brits into the 800 m final, just behind Dutchman Djoao Lobles.

[RunUnlimited]

Looks like we have a big shock in the javelin qualification... Alina Shukh, former World and European U18 and U20 champion in the Heptathlon and the javelin, is almost certainly out having only managed a below-par 49 meter best effort, compared to her new PB of 56.45 m set this year. She was one of the favourites for a medal here and she's crashed out.

Meanwhile Walton won that qualifying group with her PB throw in the first round, and she's virtually assured of passage to the final. When was the last time a British woman made the final of javelin comp at a major championships, regardless of age group?

[trickstat]

Good question, has anyone made an age-group final more recently than Goldie Sayers' (eventual) medal at the Beijing Olympics?

[alfie]

Mills with a nice first jump of 6.20 SB

[RunUnlimited]

Mills with a nice first jump of 6.20 SB

Indeed it was.

Unfortunately, Jodie Smith is out however. She didn't appear with the others for the long jump.

Jade O'Dowda with a 6.14 m SB too.