Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk and Pawel Fajdek have won the IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge after topping the end-of-season standings for the fourth time.
For the first time in the history of the series, British athletes finished in the top five in both the men’s and women’s events.
Sophie Hitchon placed fifth with 219.97 points in a contest won by world record-holder Wlodarczyk with 235.6 points, while Hitchon’s fellow British record-holder Nick Miller also finished fifth with 229.56 points behind winner Fajdek’s 248.48.
The scoring system takes each athlete’s three best marks from the series and equates metres to points. Prize money is awarded to the top 12 finishers at the end of the challenge. The athlete with the highest score wins $30,000.
Wlodarczyk went undefeated for the entire season for the third consecutive year, with her three best winning marks being 79.72m in Ostrava, 78.00m in Sao Bernardo do Campo and 77.90m at the IAAF World Championships in London.
World silver medallist Wang Zheng placed second overall in the challenge standings with 225.77 and Azerbaijan’s Hanna Skydan was third with 221.75.
Three-time world champion Fajdek broke his own record score in the men’s series.
His points tally included marks of 83.44m in Ostrava, 82.64m in Szekesfehervar and 82.40m in Turku.
Fajdek’s compatriot Wojciech Nowicki finished second in the standings. The world and Olympic bronze medallist scored 236.32 to finish comfortably ahead of Olympic champion Dilshod Nazarov with 231.40.
Source: AW
