Machine-translated from Faroese and not yet reviewed. Read the original.
The European Veterans Championships are taking place in San Sebastián in Spain these days. Two Faroese athletes have made the long journey to compete against their peers. There are many age groups, in five-year bands from 35+ all the way up to 90+.
Evald við Garð, who represented the Faroe Islands at the Island Games in Guernsey in 2003, is in the 40+ age group and will compete over 800 metres. Heri Ziska is in the 45+ age group, and his events are the weight throw, hammer and discus.
Heri’s first competition was yesterday, and it went very well for him in the hammer. With six good throws, five of them over 40 metres, Heri finished third and took bronze. In the fourth round he threw his longest throw, 43.21 metres. That throw moved him into the silver medal position, but a Dutch thrower took it back the following round. Heri also threw 43.21 metres in the final round, and he must be very pleased with the result. At the Island Games almost two years ago his best throw was 43.05 m, and at the Island Games four years ago his result was 40.41 metres. The Faroese record is 48.92 metres, set by Heri in 1999.
Heri throwing the hammer at the Island Games in 2011.
Here is a link to a YouTube clip of the bronze medal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO44MyCmXFs&list=UURmPxMmN6aJz_LZRJ0ZRfLg&index=1
Heri’s next competition is on Friday morning, when the discus is on the programme, and his last competition, the weight throw, is on Sunday. Evald við Garð runs the 800 metres tomorrow afternoon.
FÍF congratulates Heri on his bronze medal and wishes them both good luck in their remaining competitions.
You can follow the results at this link: http://www.rfea.es/competi/result2013/pistacubierta/San_Sebastian/index.html
