Germany’s Simon Batz improved his personal best to 8.18m and set a new meeting record in the men’s long jump at the Meeting Indoor de Lyon on Friday (9).
Last year’s European U23 silver medallist added 16cm to his lifetime best with an opening round effort at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting.
Tuğba Danişmaz of Türkiye who thrilled the home crowd when winning gold at last year’s European Athletics Indoor Championships, landed her first fourteen metre mark of the season, winning with a fifth round 14.10m. Neja Filipic of Slovenia, fifth in Istanbul last year, was second with 13.98m.
European lead for Attaoui
There was also plenty to savour on the track, particularly in the distance events.
The men’s 800m saw Morocco’s Abdelati El Guesse run a world lead 1:45.28. He was chased home by Spain’s European U23 1500m silver medallist Mohamed Attaoui who finished in his slipstream and was rewarded with a personal best of 1:45.59.
It is the fourth fastest time in the world this year and also the fastest by a European so far in 2024. Former European indoor champion Álvaro de Arriba opened his indoor season with third place in 1:47.05.
Newly anointed Italian short track record holder Ossama Meslek won a thrilling men’s 1500m. South Africa’s Ryan Mphahlele, sixth over the mile at last year’s World Road Running Championships in Riga, took on the pace and his bold front running looked to have won the day as he charged off the final bend.
@: Meeting Indoor de Lyon / PhotoMSport
But Meslek, who tracked him every step of the way, timed his burst to perfection and edged ahead at the finish to win by 0.05 in 3:38.01, also a meeting record.
The women’s 1500m became a duel between Italians Marta Zenoni and Ludovica Cavalli. The latter took the initiative with two laps to go. But Zenoni, twice a European U23 medallist over the distance, timed her sprint to perfection, stealing the win on the line by 0.02 with a meeting record 4:08.92.
Madeleine edges 3000m thriller
Sarah Madeleine, a member of France’s gold medal winning relay team at last year’s SPAR European Cross Country Championships had another night to remember as she won the women’s 3000m in a meeting record of 8:53.51.
Former European U20 champion over 5000m, Klara Lukan looked to have the race in her pocket when she carved out a big lead with three laps to go.
Even entering the final lap, she held a seemingly unassailable ten metre advantage, but Madeleine did not give up the chase and she caught the Slovenian to win in the closing strides by just 0.10. Former European Indoor 1500m bronze medallist Federica Del Buono of Italy was third in a personal best of 8:57.06.
@: Meeting Indoor de Lyon / PhotoMSport
Meeting record for Molnar
Hungary’s Attila Molnár held off the fast finishing Frenchman Yann Spillmann to win the first men’s 400m in a meeting record 46.43.
The European U23 bronze medallist controlled the race from the break point, but Spillman pressed him right to the line and was rewarded with a short track personal best of 46.49. France’s David Sombre won the second race in 46.86.
In the 60m hurdles, Xenia Benach of Spain won the women’s race in a fluent 8.06 and Finland’s Elmo Lakka took the men’s race in 7.67. The latter had to keep his cool to win, as the race was re-started three times.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics