Boys' shot put final report - Donetsk 2013

WRITTEN FOR THE IAAF WEBSITE

With a consistent series of impressive throws, Patrick Muller led a German 1-2 in the boys’ Shot Put final, taking the World youth title with a 22.02m lifetime best from Henning Prufer (21.94m).

The 17-year-old opened the competition with a 10cm improvement of his best with the almighty 22.02m mark to follow in the footsteps of his countryman, current World champion David Storl, who clinched the 2007 World youth title in Ostrava with a 21.40m effort.  

Muller will hope to go down the same path as Storl, as the 22-year-old went on to claim the World junior crown the following year ahead of taking Olympic silver in London last summer.

Executing a strong series of throws including marks of 21.63m, 21.85 and 21.20, Muller – who qualified first with 21.25m earlier in the day – will enjoy the company of teammate, Prufer on the medal rostrum following the latter’s personal best performance by over one metre.

The 17-year-old’s fine 21.94m throw was followed by four fouls before a final 2XXX effort to comfortably take the silver medal ahead of Egypt’s Mohamed Magdi Hamza, who threw 20.58m for bronze.

The 17-year-old enjoyed two other 20m-plus throws with 20.11m and 20.43m in the third and fifth rounds, respectively and in turn took his nation’s first medal in this event since Yasser Ibrahim Farag finished runner-up in the 2001 event in Debrecen.

Further back in fourth, Croatia’s Martin Markovic registered a best of 20.54m whilst World youth leader, Konrad Bukowiecki of Poland will be disappointed to finish fifth with 20.10m – over two-metres down on his 22.33m lifetime and season’s best.