Olympic Games-Wojciech Nowicki adds to Poland success with hammer gold

TOKYO, Japan — The Polish success in the field events continued at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on Wednesday (4) after the European nation grabbed another pair of medals in the men’s hammer throw on the sixth day of athletics at Tokyo Olympic Stadium. Click here for the complete result

And it was led by Wojciech Nowicki, who after collecting a number of bronze medals at the World Championships, in Europe and at the 2016 Games in Rio, finally grabbed a gold medal in the event in Tokyo.

The 32-year-old Nowicki took the lead from the first round of throws when he tossed the implement to 81.18 meters. He returned to improve with each of his first three attempts in the series, topping it off in the third round with a personal best 82.52 meters, which was the eventual winning effort.

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Nowicki also threw 81.39m in the fourth round and 82.06m in the fifth. He also went over the 82m mark in his final attempt but fouled in what was the only blemish on what was an incredible series of throws.

The Polish star copped a bronze medalist in Rio de Janeiro, five years ago and also won bronze medals at three consecutive world championships.

Nowicki’s winning performance on Wednesday added to Poland’s medal successes, after Anita Wlodarczyk secured a historic third straight Olympic gold in the women’s hammer on Tuesday and Malwina Kopron took the bronze.

Meanwhile, Norway’s Eivind Henriksen reached a national record with an 81.58m throw in the fifth round to move from fourth to second and held on to take the silver medal on Wednesday.

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Elsewhere, four-time world champion and world leader Pawel Fajdek of Poland secured a bronze medal with an effort of 81.53m.

Mykhaylo Kokhan of Ukraine, who finished fifth at the Doha world championships 2019, was fourth with 80.39m, but American Rudy Winkler, the second-best thrower in the world this year with 82.71m, was only seventh in Tokyo, with a 77.08m mark.