The Boris Hanžeković Memorial has been held since 1951 in honor of the tragically deceased athlete Boris Hanžeković, and since 2020 the meeting has been a part of the Continental Tour Gold category. In its 72nd edition, this time as a three-day meeting held from 9 to 11 September 2022, it kept its status among the world's top athletics meetings.
The competitions held at the Zagreb City Challenge on Ban Jelačić Square, the Ivan Ivančić Memorial near the Zagreb Fountains and the central event at the Mladost stadium were watched by TV viewers in more than 130 countries. According to the end-of-season World Athletics scoring, which take into account the quality of athletes and results achieved at the meeting, the 72nd Boris Hanžeković Memorial ranks third in the Continental Tour Gold series and overall 16th in the world. 19 world medal winners from Eugene and 18 European medal winners from Munich as well as 5 Diamond League winners took part. All these impressive figures reiterate that Zagreb is truly a European sports metropolis and a worthy host to major world competitions.
Spectacular Zagreb City Challenge on the central square
The first edition of the Zagreb City Challenge – a competition for female athletes in triple jump and pole vault and long jump for male athletes as part of the 72nd edition of the Boris Hanžeković Memorial – offered a spectacular sporting event on Ban Jelačić Square.
A special attraction was the pole vault for female athletes, where a new meeting record was achieved. The great Slovenian Tina Šutej, bronze medalist from the European Championship in Munich, jumped over 4.61 meters. In the female triple jump, the winner was Slovenian Neja Filipič, going to 14.38 meters in her first attempt.
A day to remember on the Square was closed by the long jump athletes. As many as three went over eight meters, two of them Croatians, which has never happened before at the same competition. First, Filip Pravdica went to 8.03, his career best, immediately followed by Marko Čeko, who jumped to 8.00. They were joined by the Australian Henry Frayne at 8.02, and the exciting competition ended with the great Australian jumping to 8.11 meters and deservedly winning.
8th Ivan Ivančić Memorial and grand finale at Mladost stadium
Spectators could also see the best shot putters in the world up close in Zagreb this year at the field next to the National and University Library, as part of the Ivan Ivančić Memorial. World record holder Ryan Crouser won for the fifth time, taking the lead ahead of Tom Walsh by 5:4 when it comes to victories at the fountains.
The three-day athletics spectacle in Zagreb was closed with the meeting itself at the Mladost stadium next to the Sava river, its highlight being the tenth victory for Sandra Perković, who beat the Olympic discus champion Valarie Allman in the last series.
In the 400-meter hurdles, Zagreb got a new meeting record – American Rushell Clayton broke the previous record (54.14) held by Cuban Daimi Pernia since 2000 with 53.89. In the mile run, Zagreb got a new and expected record since Australian Linden Hall ran 4:21.10 in a discipline that had not been run in Zagreb before. However, her lap time at 1,500 meters – 4:03.35 – was recognized as a meeting record, so two records were achieved in one race.
The winner of the Boris Hanžeković Memorial Race is the best hurdler today, the two-time world champion Grant Holloway with 13.19. Marvin Bracy, number two sprinter in the world from the last World Championship in Eugene, ran 100 meters under 10 seconds, at 9.98. In the 200 meters, Joseph Fahnbullegh from Liberia won with 20.07, and in the 800 meters, Hungarian Daniel Huller won with 1.45.68 ahead of Norwegian Tveit and Bosnian Tuka. In the 3000 meters, the American Willeam Kincaid celebrated with 7:38.83 in a photo finish ahead of the Kenyan Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot, who came behind a mere hundredth of a second.
In the 2000 meters steeplechase, the world record was targeted, but Olympic and world champion Suffiana El Bakali did not manage to break it. However, with 5:14.06, he set the global season best.
In an interesting triple jump contest, Hugues Fabrice Zango from Burkina Faso won with 17.07 ahead of Christian Taylor. Slovenian Kristjan Čeh won the discus throw in the big four showdown with 68.60, ahead of Swedes Pettersson and Staahl, and Great Britain's Okoya.
Image credit: Antonio Bronić / Zagreb Meeting