Mykhaylo Kokhan of Ukraine surprised a very strong field to win the men’s Hammer Throw event at the 2023 Gyulai Istvan Memorial in Szekesfehervar on Tuesday (18), outperforming his rivals, including Wojciech Nowicki, Pawel Fajdek, and Eivind Henriksen.
Kokhan, a finalist at both the World Championships and the Olympics, set the tone early in the competition with a superb opening throw of 77.87 meters, marking his initial best performance of the season. This impressive effort secured him the lead in the first three rounds.
Read more: Sha’Carri Richardson looks to stay undefeated at Gyulai Istvan Memorial
In the fourth round, the Ukrainian athlete further extended his lead by reaching a distance of 78.61m. However, it was in the fifth round that he truly expressed himself, achieving a winning mark of 79.37m, surpassing his best performance of the year to seal the dominant win.
Kokhan’s series of throws demonstrated his consistency throughout the competition today.
The 22-year-old, who recently claimed the Hammer Throw European U23 Athletics Championships title in Espoo, Finland, produced other notable distances of 76.49m and 77.60m in the second and third rounds, respectively. He concluded the event with another very strong throw, reaching 78.90m.
Second for Wojciech Nowicki
Olympic champion Wojciech Nowicki from Poland fought hard but had to settle for second place. Nowicki saved his best performance for the final round, throwing an impressive 77.89m to secure the runner-up position after being in third place for most of the competition.
Bence Halász of Hungary, the home favorite and a bronze medalist at the 2019 World Championships, finished third with a throw of 77.82m, achieved in the third round. Halász also recorded a distance of 77.21m in the sixth and final round of the event.
No marks for Pawel Fajdek
On the other hand, Pawel Fajdek, the five-time reigning world champion from Poland, encountered difficulties during the competition and failed to register a valid throw. Fajdek fouled on all three of his attempts, resulting in his exclusion from the final eight athletes.
The 2023 Gyulai Istvan Memorial will continue today with a loaded schedule that features several other world and Olympic champions. – Read more: How to watch the 2023 Gyulai Istvan Memorial live stream?
Gyulai Istvan Memorial Results – Men’s Hammer Throw:
- Mykhaylo Kokhan (Ukraine) – 79.37m
- Wojciech Nowicki (Poland) – 77.89m
- Bence Halász (Hungary) – 77.82m
- Eivind Henriksen (Norway) – 75.19m
- Gabriel Kehr (Chile) – 73.65m
- Donát Varga (Hungary) – 73.55m
- Dániel Rába (Hungary) – 72.12m
- Bence Pásztor (Hungary) – 71.66m
- Gábor Czeller (Hungary) – 70.94m
- Matija Gregurić (Croatia) – 69.70m
- Benedek Doma (Hungary) – 65.89m Paweł Fajdek (Poland) – NM (No Mark)
