Machine-translated from Faroese and not yet reviewed. Read the original.
Today Hvirlan organised an open meet with three events: 100 m, javelin and triple jump. Despite good weather today, the wind was still a nuisance. For the sprinters it was a headwind of about two metres per second, and then it is hard, if not impossible, to run a personal best. The javelin throwers didn’t like the light tailwind either. Most of them would rather have a light headwind. That includes our leading javelin thrower, Rógvi Højgaard. But be that as it may, Rógvi sent the javelin out to 56.23 metres with his very first attempt. And since the qualification standard for the Island Games is 55.88 m, this was enough to secure him a seat on the Airbus to Bermuda. On the next throw it also looked as though the javelin was on its way to Bermuda, and this too turned into a long throw – 56.02 m and once again above the Island Games standard. On his third attempt Rógvi threw 53.09 m, and that turned out to be his last attempt of the day. Leif Mikkelsen of Bragdið came second with 45.38 m.
The line of javelin throwers was long today. I don’t know for sure, but it may well be the first time that 20 javelin throwers have turned up to compete at Tórsbreyt.
As mentioned, conditions were poor for the sprinters to post good times today. It was especially Hildur Poulsen, Edna Maria Debes and Trygvi Laksafoss who were hoping for the wind at their backs today, so it could carry them through the door to the A standard. But although Trygvi ran a very good 100 m today, the headwind stole some 4/10 of a second compared with a light tailwind. And with a headwind of 1.9 for the girls, they ran more than half a second slower than at Grand Prix 1, when the wind was +2.5. But there were still some exciting races, and the girls’ race in particular was close, as at the finish Edna Maria was just 1/100 of a second ahead of Hildur.
Edna Maria and Trygvi are also strong triple jumpers and have been right around the A standard. Edna Maria has sometimes been above it, but with too much wind. So perhaps she would manage to reach 9.50 m with legal wind today. She first jumped 9.43, then 9.49. The wind was legal, yes, but too short. Then came a jump of 9.67. But too much wind. Ugh. That would otherwise have been a new Faroese record. But then she managed it. 9.59 and the wind just legal, +1.9. And so a third Hvirlan athlete this weekend was ready to travel to Sweden. For Trygvi the triple jump just wouldn’t come together. And on his fourth attempt he felt something wrong in his thigh and chose to stop.
All the results can be seen on Hvirlan’s website here: http://www.hvirlan.fo/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/20120528-opin-kapping-resultat.pdf and plenty of photos from the day are also in their photo gallery.
Birgir, Rúni, Trygvi and Tummas Napoleon have all been under 12 seconds this year. But in today’s headwind it wasn’t possible. (photo: Hvirlan)
It is not the length of the man but the length of the throw that goes into the history books. Rógvi Højgaard is the best javelin thrower in the Faroe Islands, as ever, and today qualified for his fourth Island Games. (photo: Hvirlan)
With a jump of 9.59 and a wind that just gave the green light, Edna Maria Debes finally managed to achieve an A standard with legal wind. (photo: Hvirlan)
There is always romance at Tórsbreyt (photo: Hvirlan)
