Polish NC: Rogowska 4.80, Wlodarczyk 75.74, Markowski 84.85!

[Powell]

This year, the nationals were moved as close as possible to the WC. They are thus the last chance to qualify for Berlin. The team lineup will be announced after the conclusion of competition on Sunday evening.

The only top athletes missing the nationals are Artur Noga (he recently twisted an ankle) and Monika Pyrek. Marcin Lewandowski will be running the 400.

The list of athletes who are yet to get the A qualifier include Marek Plawgo. He may try go for it in the heats on Friday afternoon. Failing that, he still has another chance in the final on Saturday. Marcin Starzak also needs to find another 4cm on top of his SB and will try to do it tomorrow. Others who have been close this year are Małgorzata Trybańska (3cm to find in TJ) and Joanna Wiśniewska (22cm in DT).

One highlight of the championships should of course be Tomasz Majewski, who will be competing in the SP on Saturday. Of the other medal contenders for Berlin, it will be interesting to see how Anita Włodarczyk's form is affected by her parting from her coach (HT final is on Saturday) and whether Piotr Małachowski can throw far despite the finger injury (DT is on Sunday). Małachowski stated that he may miss Berlin if his form is not satisfactory. I'm also anxious to see whether Anna Jesień can bounce back after the bad race she had in Monaco and if Anna Rogowska can improve on her 4.70 SB.

Both out top heptathletes will be competing, too. Karolina Tymińska and Kamila Chudzik are both entered in the 100H and LJ, with Tymińska also doing the 200.

The weather forecast looks pretty good, with highs of 21C on Friday, 23C on Saturday and 27C on Sunday and no expected rain or strong wind.

Start lists are available here

Live results will be available from tomorrow morning at http://www.forsport.info/

[Powell]

Marcin Starzak pulled out with an injury.

The Friday morning session of the championships was cancelled, so the competition doesn't start until 5:25 PM today.

[Powell]

Dariusz Kuć won the men's 100 with 10.21 (+1.0), matching the WC A qualifier. Marika Popowicz won the women's sprint with a PB of 11.38 (+0.2), achieving the B qualifier. She would have been going to Berlin with the relay anyway - now she can also be entered in the individual event.

Marek Plawgo went for the A in the 400H heats, but didn't get it, running 49.80. He'll have his last chance tomorrow.

[Powell]

Marcin Lewandowski didn't qualify for the final of the 400, but he set a PB by a large margin with 47.76. European U23 medalist Jan Ciepiela was the fastest qualifier with 46.59.

Grzegorz Sudoł won the 20k walk with 1:21:49, which is a good sign before the WCh 50k race.

Tomasz Majewski qualified for the final with 20.40. The final is at 6 PM today. I hope he's not going to take it easy and will go for a big distance.

[Powell]

Anita WÅ‚odarczyk won the HT with 75.74, her third best result this year.

Teresa Dobija set a PB and got the A qualifier in the LJ with 6.74. Kamila Chudzik got a big PB of 6.55.

Both 400H races were won with slow times. Anna Jesień ran 56.19 and finished just 0.19 ahead of Agnieszka Karpiesiuk. Marek Plawgo won the men's race with 50.39.

[Rineanna]

Anita WÅ‚odarczyk won the HT with 75.74, her third best result this year.

Good. No negative impact from her coach split. Let's hope she can pull out a big one in Berlin to keep Lysenko and Hrasnova away from the Gold.
I'm rooting for her or Heidler.

Teresa Dobija set a PB and got the A qualifier in the LJ with 6.74. Kamila Chudzik got a big PB of 6.55.

Nice improvement from Dobija.

[Powell]

Chudzik seems to be in great form. In addition to the 6.55, she also had jumps of 6.48 and 6.45 (all wind-legal and all above her previous PB). If she goes equally well in the 100H tomorrow, she could become a medal contender for Berlin.

Karolina Tymińska is still some way off her top form - she finished fifth with 6.39 (+2.6).

WÅ‚odarczyk, in addition to 75.74, had attempts of 74.45 and 73.48.

[nevetsllim]

I'm sure I've asked you before but where's Janowska this year?

[Powell]

I'm afraid I have no idea about Janowska :?

Anna Rogowska just cleared 4.80! She hasn't vaulted as high as this since March 2006.

Marcin Marciniszyn won the 400 with 45.96 ahead of Piotr Klimczak 46.05 and Jan Ciepiela 46.13.

[Powell]

Majewski won the SP with 21.17 (his series was 20.85 X 20.90 X 21.17 X).

Urszula Piwnicka won the JT with her first-round attempt of 60.02.

[Powell]

Kamila Stepaniuk set a PB winning the HJ final with 1.93.

Adam Kszczot easily won the 800 in 1:47.88. He doesn't have the A standard; I suppose the national federation might select him for Berlin anyway, but I heard he wasn't planning on going anyway...

[Powell]

Now here's a real cracker: in the last round of the men's JT Adrian Markowski, second up to that point with 76.33, uncorked a throw of 84.85 :!: :shock: A PB by nearly 6 meters

Markowski was the European junior champion with 78.42 way back in 1997. It took him 11 years to improve on that with 78.95 last year. I don't think anyone could have seen this one coming.

[jlt]

I'm sure I've asked you before but where's Janowska this year?

Wiola is recovering after foot surgery. She's training well (was most of July in St Moritz) and will probably have some starts during September.

By the way, Janowska was her (first) married name; she is married last year for the second time and is now known as her maiden name of Frankiewicz.

[croflash]

Now here's a real cracker: in the last round of the men's JT Adrian Markowski, second up to that point with 76.33, uncorked a throw of 84.85 :!: :shock: A PB by nearly 6 meters

Markowski was the European junior champion with 78.42 way back in 1997. It took him 11 years to improve on that with 78.95 last year. I don't think anyone could have seen this one coming.

Is this for real ? :shock:

[Powell]

I'm as shocked as you are, but hey, these things occasionally happen in JT. I don't expect Markowski to do anything in the WCh.

Szymon ZióÅ‚kowski won another national title with 77.11.

In the 100h heats, Kamila Chudzik ran 13.66 and Karolina Tymińska 13.84 into 1.4 mps headwind. These aren't bad performances in these conditions, we'll see if they can improve on it in the final.