On New Year’s Eve, pole vaulter Rugilė Miklyčiūtė’s wish list included qualifying for the European Championship. The track and field athlete never even dreamed of a spot there. Ultimately, the multiple Lithuanian record holder managed not only to qualify for the championship but also to its final, and in the latter final, she achieved a high – eleventh place. On the same day, decathlete Edgaras Benkunskas ended his heroic fight in Birmingham. After the finish, among other things, he spoke sensitively about the upcoming addition to his family.
The Story’s Creator
After successfully passing the European Championship qualifiers, R. Miklyčiūtė, the first pole vaulter in Lithuanian history to participate in the championships, was bursting with joy. In the final, the track and field athlete easily managed 4.30 m, but the 4.45 m height did not obey. This result allowed him to take 11th place. Although this is a very high result that will go down in the history of national athletics, R. Miklyčiūtė did not hide her slight disappointment after the finish.
“I won’t lie – I was truly disappointed, I hoped for better. Maybe I’m more disappointed with the result (not the position), because I really wanted to jump over more. Sport is sport. We live and learn. I think this is just the beginning… Maybe that little nervousness tripped me up?” – the athlete shared her thoughts and soon added, “Today I’ll be a little sad, but I’ll talk to the coach, I believe she will calm me down, and tomorrow I’ll be happy.”
R. Miklyčiūtė, having finished her performance, stayed to watch the battles of her strongest opponents until the end. “I didn’t want to leave the sector. Still, high-level athletes were jumping; I wanted to see how they danced and how much more work I needed to work to reach their level,” the athlete smiled.
Eleventh event
A smile did not leave decathlete E. Benkunskas’s face after the finish. He scored 7,689 points over two days and finished in 18th place. The country’s most versatile track and field athlete performed best in discus throw (46.56 m, 5th place), shot put (14.85 m, 9th place), and javelin throw (59.13 m, 11th place). Summarizing the results, the athlete spoke much more positively than after the first day.
“At the end of the day, the mood was good because there was a great atmosphere in the stadium and support from the spectators. Speaking about the performance itself, there were all kinds of thoughts… Maybe not finish? Injuries have recurred – both in the shoulder and in the groin. This also resulted in a worse javelin throw result. But I pulled myself together. I never take it off unnecessarily. I always try to finish what I start. This is no exception. I pulled myself together, finished, and then the whole atmosphere at the end, the Lithuanian tricolor, walking around the stadium – it was something wow, wonderful,” shared E. Benkunskas.
When asked about the upcoming eleventh event – a family addition with Lithuania’s javelin thrower record holder Liveta Jasiūnaitė – her smile changed into tearful eyes. “In a month, we have to become parents. Although my last competition should be at that time, I want to be close to Liveta and support her in every way. Even now, I get emotional. Their support helped me a lot (editor L. Jasiūnaitė posted on social media during the championship how their child was kicking in the stomach, supporting E. Benkunskas in the championship). To be honest, I still don’t understand what it is, but we are really, really looking forward to it. I know I’ll be a good dad. I will try to be that way. A very fun moment awaits. “The eleventh event,” the decathlete spoke emotionally, laughing at the same time.
Photo by Alfredas Pliadis
