Men’s Hammer Throw Podium Competition At Buenos Aires 2018

Summer Youth Olympics 

2018 

Men’s Hammer Throw Podium Competition At  

Buenos Aires 2018

BUENOS AIRES:-  Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Kokhan, the favourite to win the gold medal in the men’s hammer throw, met the high expectations placed on him and nailed a 85.97-metre throw in the first stage and a 85.14-metre throw in the second. The effort earned him the gold medal, while Belarus’ Valentin Andreev got the silver and China’s Wang Qi the bronze.

Although the Ukrainian’s throw was two metres short of his personal record, it was still good enough for him to take the top spot at Buenos Aires 2018.

"It was a very good competition to put an end to a long season," Kokhan said.

Ukraine is a growing power in the discipline. Four years ago, at Nanjing 2014, the country had also won the gold in men’s hammer throw thanks to Hlib Piskunov, who was just 15 years old at the time.

Kokhan talked about his friendship with Piskunov: "Before I came here, he motivated me to show the world what we, the Ukrainian throwers, are made of."

Kokhan, who won the European championship held in Hungary in July, had only three months to prepare for Buenos Aires 2018. But the idea of skipping the competition never crossed his mind.

"I have wanted to compete in an edition of the Olympic Games since I was a child. I can rest now,” he said.

His father and coach, Serhii Kokhan, knows that his son’s career is just beginning.

"He is a very young athlete. We don’t want to pressure him, but if he has the results to make it to Tokyo 2020, we will train him for that," he said.

This is not the only family tie in the Ukrainian delegation. Valeriya Ivanenko, who won the gold in the women's hammer throw competition, is also coached by her father.

"I'm very happy to work with my dad. It is a great incentive. Thanks to him, I can make progress faster," she said, after making a 72.08-metre throw in the second stage of the event.