PARIS (Reuters) – Ukraine’s high jump gold medal favourite Yaroslava Mahuchikh had a smooth first outing of the Paris Olympics on Friday as she topped qualifying in a Stade de France packed with cheering fans for the first day of track and field events.
Canada looked to continue its dominance of the hammer throw with Ethan Katzberg leading the field by a long way in the qualifying round. Both the men’s and women’s hammer throw world champions are Canadian.
Mahuchikh, who won bronze in Tokyo, has had the perfect run-up to the Games and will hope to upgrade that medal here. Three weeks ago the 22-year-old broke the world record that had stood for 37 years by sailing over a 2.10 metres.
Athletes had to achieve a 1.97-metre jump or be among the 12 best performers to qualify. Ultimately the highest jump was 1.95 metres, as the favourites saved themselves for the final on Sunday.
Serbia’s Angelina Topic, the world number three, was in tears after she qualified despite several missed attempts, but her participation in the final remains in question after she limped away with a heavily-strapped ankle.
Tokyo silver medallist Nicola Olyslagers from Australia qualified along with her teammate Eleanor Patterson, with Ukraine’s Iryna Geraschenko also going through.
The stadium gave an extra-loud cheer for French athletes such as Nawal Meniker who qualified in the high jump.
Another heartbreak of the morning was United States’s Daniel Haugh, who had won the hammer throw at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June but failed to qualify with three no-throws.
Canada’s Ethan Katzberg, world number one, got a big roar from the crowd with a throw of 79.93 metres, well ahead of the next best by fellow Canadian Rowan Hamilton.
The men had to reach at least 77 metres to qualify automatically, or be among the 12 best performers. Ukraine had a good showing, with Mykhaylo Kokhan the first to qualify with a throw of 77.42 metres.
His performance was all the more impressive given he slept on his balcony last night to escape the heat. “I woke up at 6:40,” he said afterwards. “This weather in Paris is too hot for me.”
The men’s hammer final takes place on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. local time, with the women’s high jump final on Sunday at 7:55 p.m..
(Reporting by Helen Reid, editing by Toby Davis)
