Discus thrower shines

Lukas Weißhaidinger has “opened a button”

Lukas Weißhaidinger

(Bild: Urbantschitsch Mario/Mario Urbantschitsch)

While Victoria Hudson's javelin throw record marked the beginning of a great evening of athletics in Eisenstadt, Lukas Weißhaidinger set the final point late in the evening. The Olympic bronze medalist crowned a great series with six valid attempts with 69.04 m. "A button opened for me today, that's fantastic!"

Weißhaidinger had struggled with a change in technique at his last meetings. But in Eisenstadt (almost) everything was perfect. "Because it wasn't perfect yet. There were still some slight mistakes. But in terms of the results, it was a super competition. I'm going to print out the result with the six throws and hang it up somewhere big. That was simply something special today!" His worst attempt landed at 67.12 m. On average, he had a distance of 68.05 m in the dream series. "There must be something magical about the ring here in Eisenstadt!"

Commenting on the relationship between the last meetings and now Eisenstadt, he said: "It was just like night and day." Now he is flying to the next Diamond Legaue meetings in Oslo and Stockholm with great confidence. "The competition will also watch my meeting today two or three times!"

Lukas Weißhaidinger

(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

Weißhaidinger is already in eighth place in the world's best list for the year. Just how good his distance from Eisenstadt is can also be seen in his own statistics: he has only thrown further in three competitions than this year in Eisenstadt. His record stands at 70.68 m. The European Championships in Rome can come.

Strong sprinters
Austria's sprinters also joined the ranks of the top performers. Markus Fuchs came second in the 100 m in 10.25 (former world champion Yohan Blake was disqualified in the final), Magdalena Lindner also came second in the 100 m in 11.57 seconds (she ran her second-fastest time ever in the preliminary heat with 11.40), as did Karin Strametz in the 100 m hurdles in 12.99. Enzo Diessl also celebrated a brilliant victory, improving his own U23 record in the 110 m hurdles with 13.40. Finally, Raphael Pallitsch secured the last race decision in the 1500 m in 3:37.42.