On Monday the Czech Republic witnessed another athletics meet after the one in Ostrava on Sunday. This time around in Prague, it was the turn of Josefa Memorial meet.
The European long jump Indoor silver medalist in 2015, Radek Juska did not disappoint as he surged to 8.03m (w-1.5m/s), an European leading jump for the season. The 27 years old long jumper started uncomposed but soon get to his rhythm to land his winning jump in round five.
Nikola Ogrodnikova, the European silver medalist opened her Javelin with 61.90m, a metre shy of the mark she achieved in Kladno one week prior. The 29-year-old saved her best for the final round, throwing 64.22m – her best throw since May 2019. Nikol Tabackova was second with 57.24m, just ahead of Martina Pisova (56.55m).
“I’m happy to throw the third-best mark of the season, but I’d like to throw farther later in the season,” said Ogrodnikova.
Jakub Vadlejch and Petr Frydrych, the 2017 world silver and bronze medallists respectively, both threw beyond 80 metres in the men’s javelin. Vadlejch won with 83.78m while Frydrych set a season’s best of 81.22m.
Jan Veleba won the men’s 100m in 10.21, finishing 0.04 ahead of European indoor champion Jan Volko.
One week after finishing an uncharacteristic third over 300m in Kladno, three-time world indoor 400m champion Pavel Maslak stepped further down in distance to the 200m and was victorious in 20.82. Volko was once again 0.04 behind the winner, placing second in 20.86.
Memoriál Josefa Odložila is an annual Track And Field Meeting which takes place in June at at Standion Evzena Rosockeho in Prague, Czech Republic.
The competition was first held in 1994 as a race over 2000 m in memory of Czech middle distance runner Josef Odlozil -a Silver Medalists over 1500m at the 1964 Summer Olympics, who died in 1993. The programme expanded to a wider selection of track and field events the following year. The meet grew in stature, attracting a number of top-class international competitors, and by 2004 it had gained IAAF Grand prix status.
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