Javelin thrower Jakub Vadlejch started the season in second place at the opening meeting of the Diamond League in Doha, where he was the second Czech in history to clear the 90 meter mark. The Tokyo Olympic silver medalist twice improved his personal best during the competition to 90.88 meters.
Vadlejch was not enough for reigning Doha world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, who claimed victory in the final round with a throw of 93.07 metres. The 24-year-old exceeded his personal maximum by almost six meters and placed fifth in the historical tables, led by Jan Železný. His world record from 1996 is 98.48 meters.
Still, the Czech medalist from the Tokyo Games did not spoil his mood.
“A dream come true. When I started athletics at the age of 15, I had dreams. A medal at the Olympics and 90 meters. It’s something unreal. 90 meters is a milestone and I will remember that day for the rest of my life, as well as the days when I first changed my 70s and 80s,” he said after the race.
The second Czech lancer in Doha, Vítězslav Veselý, finished sixth with a performance of 76.92. The bronze holder from Tokyo had only two valid tries.
Vadlejch entered the competition scoring 84.63 and after the first set he was second behind Peters, who started with a personal best 88.96. After two invalid attempts, the 31-year-old Czech national team member took the lead with a throw of 89.87, which moved his maximum of 14 from the World Championships in London in 2017, where he won a silver medal.
On the fifth attempt, Peters was the first over the extra class (90.19), but Vadlejch immediately attacked again and knocked him down. In the super final for the top three administrators of Jan Železný from Dukla of Prague, he made 85.50, while his javelin thrower Grenadier with a high-speed run of 93 meters.
“I’m here for the second time and I love it here,” said Peters, who sensationally dominated the 2019 World Championships in Doha, where Vadlejch finished fifth. Third place went to Germany’s Julian Weber today, who threw 86.09.
Many of Doha’s performances were affected by strong winds, which even canceled the pole vault competition with Swedish world record holder Armand Duplantis.
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Athletic Diamond League Intro Meeting:
Men:
200m (wind +2.1m/s): 1. Lyles 19.72, 2. Kerley (both USA) 19.75, 3. Richards (Trin.) 20.15.
800m: 1. Kibet (Kenya) 1: 49.08, 2. Bol (Austr.) 1: 49.35, 3. Arop (CAN) 1: 49.51.
1500m: 1. Kipsang 3: 35.70, 2. Cheruiyot (Kenya) 3: 36.16, 3. Lemi (Et.) 3: 37.06.
400m BC: 1. Dos Santos (BRA) 47.24, 2. Benjamin (USA) 47.49, 3. Barr (IR) 49.67.
3000 m BC: 1. Bakkalí (MAR) 8: 09.66, 2. Girma (Et.) 8: 09.67, 3. Kibiwot (Kenya) 8: 16.40.
Size: 1. Sang-hjok (Korea) 233, 2. Barshim (Qatar) 230, 3. Lovett (CAN) 227.
Javelin: 1. Peters (Gren.) 93.07, 2. Vadlejch (CZE) 90.88, 3. Weber (DEU) 86.09,… 6. Veselý (CZE) 76.92.
Women:
200m (+1.3m/s): 1. Thomas (USA) 21.98, 2. Jackson (Jam.) 22.07, 3. Asher-Smith (Brit.) 22.37.
400m: 1. Paulin (Rep. Dom.) 51.20, 2. McPherson (Jam.) 51.69, 3. Miller-Uib (Bah.) 51.84.
3000m: 1. Niyonsaba (BUR) 8: 37.70, 2. Kipyegon (Kenya) 8: 38.05, 3. Hull (Austr.) 8: 40.97.
100 m BC (+3.8 m/s): 1. Harrison (USA) 12.43, 2. Amusan (NGA) and Anderson (Jam.) Both 12.44.
Triple jump: 1. Ricketts (Jam.) 14.82, 2. Bechová-Romančuková (UKR) 14.73, 3. Lafondová (DOM) 14.46.
Bullets: 1. Ealey 19.51, 2. Ewen 19.32, 3. Ramsey (all USA) 18.99.
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