On the opening morning of the Ostrava 2011 European Athletics U23 Championships on Thursday, the British 400m hurdler Nathan Woodward set the fastest time of 50.85 in the first round of his event, even though he jogged off the final hurdle to win with ease. Hugo Grillas of France and Emir Bekric of Serbia were next fastest on 50.96.

Raphael Holzdeppe of Germany was the only pole vaulter to go clear at the qualifying height of 5.35. Compatriot Karsten Dilla and Poland’s Pawel Wojciechowski found 5.20 sufficient to finish second and third on the morning.

David Storl heaved the shot out to 19.70 for the furthest put by well over a metre, accompanied by compatriot, Max Bedewitz and Ukraine’s Dmytro Savystskiyy who were the only others to go through by right.

Eduard Mikhan of Belarus leads the decathlon after three events. In both the 100m and long jump, the Belarussian set lifetime bests for a total of 2584, to end the session 54 points up on favourite, Jan Felix Knobel of Germany, who in turn holds a slender 1-point advantage over Mihail Dudas of Serbia.