Myslivchuk Surprises with Fifth Place in Hammer Throw at Budapest Championships, Manuelová Misses the Final

The stadium in Budapest, which hosted the World Championships three years ago, has launched a new and ambitious athletics event — featuring black running tracks, an emphasis on visual spectacle, and generous prize money that drew nearly all the world's track and field stars at the close of the season.

Czech 400m runner Lenka Manuelová, just 21 years old, showed clear signs of late-season fatigue after a strong start to the year. Following a fourth-place finish at the European Championships in Birmingham, she placed fifth in last week's Diamond League final in Brussels.

In the cold Budapest weather, she ran a more cautious race and was in fourth place entering the home straight — a position that would have secured her spot in the next round. But she lost speed in the closing stretch and was overtaken by three more rivals, finishing in 50.52 seconds under her Swiss coach Laurent Meuwly.

"I tried to stay with the pack and give everything I had. I wanted to run better, but it's been a long season. I'm grateful for it, even though things looked a bit better earlier on," Manuelová told the Czech Athletics Federation. Earlier this year she won gold at the World Indoor Championships and consistently finished among the top three at Diamond League meetings.

The fastest qualifier from the first semifinal was Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino, unbeaten this season, who clocked 49.58 seconds.

A Hammer Throw Sensation

Czech hammer thrower Volodymyr Myslivchuk earned the tournament's last available quota spot, and organizers had predicted he would be eliminated after just two attempts.

But the athlete, coached by Dušan Král, threw 78.19 metres on his second attempt — a result that carried him into the final round of six and ultimately saw him finish fifth. His prize money came to roughly 330,000 crowns — a substantial sum by hammer-throwing standards.

"Fifth place is good, though I wanted to finish even higher. Because of the special rules it was a real lottery, but I think I handled it well. I'll take some good memories home from here," said the Ukraine-born athlete.

For Canadian Ethan Katzberg, however, the tournament proved a major disappointment. Unbeaten for a full year, the two-time reigning world champion and Olympic champion failed to register a valid throw in either of his first two attempts, which under the tournament's rules meant immediate elimination. The win ultimately went to Germany's Merlin Hummel, who edged out reigning European champion and home favourite Bence Halász of Hungary.

Another Unbeaten Streak Continues

American Masai Russell, the world record holder in the 100m hurdles, extended her unbeaten run dating back to last year's World Championships in Tokyo. She surged through the second half of the race to win in 12.22 seconds.

The last Czech athlete competing at the event — which organizers plan to hold every two years — will be high jumper Jan Štefela, whose event is scheduled for Sunday.

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Source: sport.cz