SMU grad Charfreitag produces hammer world lead

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Slovakia's Charfreitag produces Hammer world lead


Slovakia's Libor Charfreitag became the first hammer thrower to go over 80 metres this year,
throwing 80.59m to win at the historic Mt SAC Relays in California on Saturday. Slovak Hammer thrower Libor Charfreitag confirmed that he is likely to be among the medal contenders at the European Athletics Championships this summer when he became the first man in his event to go over 80 metres this year, throwing 80.59m to win at the historic Mt SAC Relays in California on Saturday.

Charfreitag twice breached the benchmark, first with 80.54m on his second throw and then he improved to 80.59m with his fourth effort.

It was his best throw since he won the 2007 World Championships bronze medal in Osaka. The 32-year-old from Trnava set the Slovak national record of 81.81m back in 2003 but he has now thrown over 80 metres in five of the last eight years.

"I had a great series and although it was not technically perfect it certainly benefits me to fly far away from home to get good conditions.

"The weather was perfect and there were only seven in the competition. It seems that everything is on track for a successful season," reflected Charfreitag.

"I felt that I still have a lot in reserve so I'm calm. The key thing is that I have no health problems, like in previous years. This competition has supplied me with the necessary confidence and helped me a lot mentally. All four of my valid throws were better than last season's best of 78.81," he added.

Last year was a modest one for Charfreitag despite winning at the European Team Championships Second League meeting. He made the World Championships final but could only finish 10th in Berlin.

Charfreitag will now base himself in Dallas, Texas, for the coming weeks - which is no surprise considering the potential problems he would face trying to get back to Europe owing to the current flight restrictions - before returning to Osaka for the first of this summer's IAAF Challenge events there on May 8.

He, along with walker Matej Toth, are his country's big hopes for medals at the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona this summer, which will be held between July 26 and August 1.

Slovakia has yet to win a medal at the four European Athletics Championships they have attended since becoming an independent nation in 1993, the best result being Robert Stefko's fourth place in the 1994 men's 10000m.

Charfreitag himself finished seventh in 2002 but, disappointingly, failed to make the final in Göteborg four years ago.

http://www.european-athletics.org/index ... 8&Itemid=2

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OUTSTANDING!