Slovenian giant Kristjan Čeh dominates at what may be his final Mediterranean Games

Kristjan Čeh described his victory in Taranto as probably his last Mediterranean Games, then won the discus title by more than three meters.

The Slovenian threw 68.70 meters on his fourth attempt, setting a championship record. His second throw had reached 67.82 meters, while Spain’s Diego Casas Garrido won silver with 65.62. Čeh fouled his first attempt, deliberately stepped over the line on his fifth, and ended with another invalid throw after the discus appeared to land near the 70-meter mark.

“Winning was the goal at what were probably my last Mediterranean Games,” Čeh said. He added that he knew he would not face strong competition and would instead compete against himself. He also criticized the organization, saying the event dragged on and that officials had to use an ordinary tape measure after the electronic system failed.

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Winning was the goal at what were probably my last Mediterranean Games. I knew I would not have real competition, but that I would be competing against myself. It was all very poorly organized, the event dragged on, for example. Then the electronics failed and they measured with an ordinary tape measure.

Čeh said he had not thrown at his best and found no comparison between the training sessions and the competition. Still, he said he had expanded his collection of gold medals. His wife and coach, Anna Maria Čeh, did not receive accreditation, so he stayed in the city rather than aboard the athletes’ cruise ship.

Slovenia also won bronze in the men’s 4x100 relay. Staš Tin Lorbar, Filip Oicij, Andrej Skočir and Anej Čurn Prapotnik finished in 39.29 seconds, short of their national record of 38.91. Italy won in 39.03, ahead of Turkey in 39.09.

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I did not throw my best either, there is no comparison between the training sessions here and the competition. But I still added to my collection of gold medals. My first throw was the longest, while the last two were technically the best. I put more energy into them, but I was a little short of luck.