Stahl And Vetter Set Meeting Records In Turku

One day after 2019 Doha World Champion, Daniel Stahl of Sweden throws a world-leading 71.37m in Sollentuna, Stahl with his only legal throw, set a Meeting Record (MR) of 69.23m to win the men’s Discus at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, ahead of former World Champion, Andrius Gudzius of Lithuania who got out to 66.39m and Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh of with 66.07m  on Tuesday, August 11, 2020.

Understandably, given the tight turn around, Stahl needed a couple of rounds to get into the groove in Turku, but after registering fouls in the first two rounds, he sent his discus out to 69.23m in round three to add almost three metres to the meeting record.

2017 world champion Gudzius, who opened with 65.55m before throwing 66.39m in round three was relegated to second place, marginally ahead of Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh, who threw 66.07m in round three.

Stahl’s fifth-round throw was measured at 70.20m but after the conclusion of the competition it was ruled a foul.

German’s 2017 World Champion Johannes Vetter produced his best throw for more than two years to win the javelin, providing the highlight of the meet.

In what was perhaps the highest quality outdoor meeting of the year so far – and, with about 6000 fans, certainly one of the best-attended – Vetter’s 91.49m was one of six meeting records set tonight in the Finnish city.

Since opening his season in late July 2017, the 27-year-old has improved with each competition. The German recorded three fouls in his season opener in Zweibrucken but then found his rhythm in Kuortane on August 1, winning with 86.94m. Eight days later, he won the German title with 87.36m.

It didn’t take him long to settle into the competition in Turku as he sent his spear out to 91.49m in the opening round, adding 21 centimetres to the meeting record set by compatriot Thomas Rohler in 2016, the year in which he won the Olympic title.

Vetter took three more throws, and although he didn’t improve on his opening mark, any one of them would have been enough to win: 87.59m, 88.57m and 86.42m.

European silver medallist Andreas Hofmann, a 90-metre thrower at his best, unleashed a season’s best of 85.24m in the fourth round to move into second place. Latvian champion Gatis Cakss was third with 82.65m, just ahead of Hungary’s Norbert Rivasz-Toth (82.22m).