Swansea 2014 - Day 4 morning review

The first track world record of the championships was broken this morning by Marie-Amelie le Fur 23 Aug 2014
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Women on a track celebrating with a French flag

France's Marie-Amelie le Fur wins the women's 400m T44 final setting a new world record

ⒸSporting Wales
By IPC

French star Marie-Amelie Le Fur smashed her own world record to take gold in the 400m T44 at the IPC Athletics European Championships on Friday.

Le Fur’s terrific run over one lap was the first world record to fall on the track in Swansea with the Paralympic 100m T44 champion clocking 1:01.41, more than one second faster than the T44 record she set in France seven years ago.

The 25-year-old screamed with delight as she crossed the line in victory ahead of Germany’s Irmgard Bensusan, who ran a strong race before fading down the home straight and the T43 world record holder Marlou van Rhijn.

“I feel very good, it was a good day without wind and with the sun,” said Le Fur. “There were a lot of tough competitors on the track and it’s a beautiful day to me.

“The girls pushed me along, I started just behind Marlou and I got off to a very good start. Irmgard also had a good start and she tracked me to 200m, it’s a bit of a collective record.

“I didn’t expect the world record because we were in Championship competition but I knew I could run under the world record but I could not be sure I would.”

The Frenchwoman lines up in the long jump F44 final this afternoon against Great Britain’s Stef Reid, who broke Le Fur’s world record in that event earlier this year; expect plenty more excitement to come.

Beat Boesch of Switzerland had earlier kicked off proceedings on the track on the fourth day of competition with a victory in the men’s 100m T52. The European record holder powered home to seal the win in 18.62.

“The race was very good, I had a very good start and looked to my left side for the Portuguese athlete and I had a glance of a wheel there so I pushed really hard,” said Boesch. “The time is not good but I am pleased with the medal. I love it here in Swansea, I love the people and now it’s time for a holiday.”

Turkey’s Oznur Yilmazer also got off to a flying start, speeding off at the gun in the women’s 200m T11. The European 100m T11 champion held on to her lead down the home straight to make it a sprint double.

Gold in the men’s 1500m T20 went to Russia, with world bronze medallist Viacheslav Khrustalev – the fastest man on paper – heading to the front at the bell and running a superb final lap to finish in 4:00.08.

Great Britain became the first nation to secure a clean sweep of medals at Swansea 2014, taking gold, silver and bronze in the women’s club throw F32/51. Joanna Butterfield (F51) threw a new European record with her opening attempt of 17.68m (1110 points), with Paralympic champion Josie Pearson finishing second and Gemma Prescott in third.

“It’s all pretty amazing this is all still pretty new to me,” said Butterfield. “To throw a European Record with my first throw I really didn’t expect it to turn out like that. I knew I was training well and I could get close to it. I spoke to Cath O’Neill (ER holder) before we started and she asked if I was going to break it. I’m just so pleased I was able to pull it off.”

Evgenii Malykh finished fourth in the shot put F32/33 at the IPC Athletics World Championships last year - the best of the Europeans - and he lived up to expectations here, clinching gold in the F33 class with a best of 11.88m.

The men’s long jump T36 went to form too, as Ukraine’s world champion and world record holder Roman Pavlyk leapt to gold with a best of 5.28m in his final attempt – 8cm ahead of Poland’s defending champion Mariusz Sobczak.

There were no surprises in the women’s javelin F34 either, as world and Paralympic champion Birgit Kober of Germany successfully retained her European title, with a season’s best throw of 19.56m.

In a field packed with world class talent, Kim Lopez Gonzalez turned the tables on the two men who beat him to the European title two years ago – Ukraine’s Andrii Holivets and Russia’s Vladimir Andriushchenko. The Spaniard set a new lifetime best to take gold in the men’s shot put F12, throwing 15.55m.

Nikol Rodomakina picked up her second gold of the championships, following up her 100m T47 track gold with a win in the field. The Russian European record holder managed a best of 5.50m to take the top spot in the long jump T47.

And in the women’s shot put F35/36, world gold medallist Mariia Pomazan safely defended the title she won two years ago, scoring 1045 points (11.93m).

In the men’s 400m T20 semi-finals, Spain’s Dionibel Rodriguez Rodriguez goes through as the fastest qualifier, whilst Finland’s Henry Manni and Swiss Bojan Mitic each won their semi-finals in the 400m T34.

The live stream from Swansea 2014, together with videos on demand of individual races, are available to embed on websites in some territories via the IPC’s YouTube channel.

For further information please contact IPC Digital Media Manager Natalia Dannenberg-Spreier.

In addition, HD quality broadcast footage from Swansea 2014 is available from the IPC’s Broadcast Manager Jose Manuel Dominguez.

Daily highlights will be available for digital channels via Omnisport, whilst individual races as video on demand can be embedded via Perform’s e-player