Dongmo throws 19.75m in Huelva, Bradshaw vaults 4.82m | REPORT

Portugal’s Auriol Dongmo provided the main highlight at the 16th Meeting Iberoamericano, a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting, thanks to a 19.75m shot put throw on Thursday (3).

The European indoor champion kicked off with a hesitant 18.60m toss in Huelva and improved to 19.32m in the second round before fouling her next two attempts. The fireworks came in the fifth round when the 30-year-old unleashed a 19.75m effort to set a career best by 10 centimetres, also a national record and a world-leading performance. The Cameroon-born ace closed her series of throws with a fine 19.23m. She didn’t find any opposition from the runner up, her fellow Portuguese thrower Eliana Bandeira (17.34m).

Bradshaw higher than ever outdoors

The second star of the event was the European pole vault bronze medallist Holly Bradshaw. The 29-year-old opened with an easy 4.50m clearance, then she needed two attempts to get over 4.64m but had convincing first-time clearances at both 4.75m and 4.82m for a national outdoor record. That performance moves Bradshaw, who cleared 4.87m indoors in 2012, to equal third on the world rankings.

The Rio Olympics fifth-placer then tried 4.88m but was unsuccessul in her three attempts. The in-form Italian Roberta Bruni had to settle for the runner-up spot on this occasion with a 4.64m clearance, the second ever best performance by the 27-year-old.

“It has been a pleasure to jump here,” said a delighted Bradshaw. “The competition has been incredible. We asked the organisers to change the pit to take advantage of the prevailing wind and they were accomodating. I’m really grateful.”

Gressier impresses

France’s Jimmy Gressier had planned to compete in Gothenburg the previous day but when he arrived in Sweden, authorities denied him entry as his negative PCR test had expired five hours before. Far from being discouraged, the European U23 5000m and 10,000m champion contacted the Huelva organisers for a place for the Meeting Iberoamericano 5000m in his hunt for the Olympic qualifier.

Paced by 2016 800m world indoor silver medallist Antoine Gakeme, Gressier reached the opening kilometres in 2:40.03, 5:16:04 and 7:57.95, outside the pace required to run inside the 13:13.50 Tokyo standard. He took the lead before 4000m (10:39.17) and from then on the brave Frenchman showed an impressive determination to build a sizeable margin over Germany’s Mohamed Mohumed and Eritrea’s Awet Habte. It only took Gressier 2:29.88 to cover the…