World decathlon record-holder Kevin Mayer, seeking a second European indoor heptathlon title, made a solid start as he finished the morning session on day three of the Torun 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships in second place behind up-and-coming 21-year-old Simon Ehammer.
The Swiss athlete, who was crowned European U20 champion in 2019, made a flying start by winning the opening 60m event in a lifetime best of 6.75, equalling the championship best in the event set by Estonia's Karl Robert Saluri in Glasgow two years ago.
Top points from a long jump of 7.89m, another indoor lifetime best, stretched his lead after two events to 146 points from Mayer, gold medallist in Belgrade four years ago, who jumped 7.47m – just seven centimetres short of his indoor best.
But the 29-year-old’s superior experience and power began to tell upon the competition in the shot put, where a big indoor best of 16.32m with his third and final attempt left him only 49 points behind his young rival, who threw 14.75m.
With the high jump to come in today’s evening session, 20-year-old Italian record-holder Dario Dester – who set a 60m personal best of 6.97 - is in third place on 2599 points ahead of home multi-eventer Pawel Wiesiolek, who has 2594 points.
Spain’s defending champion Jorge Urena lies sixth on 2528 while the very experienced German Kai Kazmirek, the 2017 world bronze medallist, scratched from the competition with a back injury after an opening long jump effort of 6.55m.
Ingebrigtsen remains on course for elusive 1500/3000m double
Home runner Marcin Lewandowski, who had been 1500m champion for a third time for a period of around three hours the previous night before Ingebrigtsen was reinstated on appeal, was not present in the 3000m heats.
Nor was his teammate Michal Rozmys, who had been involved in the incident during the 1500m final in which Ingebrigtsen was ultimately judged to have been pushed onto the in-field and not to have gained any advantage.
Ingebrigtsen, however, did toe the line, having said the previous night that he would probably have gone home had his disqualification stood, in the third and final heat and ended up taking the third automatic qualifying spot in 7:49.52, an indoor personal best behind France’s multiple European U23 champion Jimmy Gressier (7:48.93) and Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli (7:49.46).
Long-time leader Mike Foppen of the Netherlands saw his qualification cruelly disappear in the final few strides as he slipped back to fourth place following the late charge from both Kimeli and Ingebrigtsen. After falling just short two years ago, the latter will be looking to become the first male athlete in championship history to win the 1500m and 3000m titles in the same edition.
Commenting on the 1500m aftermath, Ingebrigtsen said: “It was a long night. We waited downstairs for many hours after the race trying to get hold of what was going on. We didn’t feel like we ruined anything for each other. They decided I won, which I did, so I’m really happy how it turned out.
“I didn’t want to make much out of it today other than I had to - I felt like I had control and I’m excited for tomorrow’s race. There are many good European runners that have been going well, so it is going to be a tough race and I’m really looking forward to a great challenge.”
Duplantis sails through pole vault qualifying with Lavillenie sadly absent
The unfortunate withdrawal of the revivified Renaud Lavillenie with a calf strain meant the task of adding a European indoor title to his already burgeoning portfolio has been simplified for Armand Duplantis – as well as opening up the overall medal opportunities.
Lavillenie, whose 6.06m this season represented his best vaulting since his world record-breaking year in 2014, announced on Twitter after the previous morning’s training session that he had been forced to give up participation after feeling “a sharp pain” in his right calf, adding: “I do not want to aggravate the injury and risk compromising the Olympics. It’s a tough decision for me but it’s wiser.”
Lavillenie won four successive European indoor titles between 2009 and 2015 and still holds the championship record with 6.04m but he has missed the last three editions of this championships all through injury.
In the arena where, last year, he first broke Lavillenie’s world record mark of 6.16m by clearing 6.17m, Duplantis needed just one effort – a first-time clearance of 5.60m – to secure his place among the eight finalists tomorrow.
“It’s good to be back on a track, especially a track I feel pretty comfortable on, so I am excited for competition tomorrow. I just need to go out there and do what I can do, I don’t need to overthink it or make it too complicated,” said Duplantis.
On the absence of his good friend and rival, Duplantis said: "After Renaud came off with 6.06m I was really motivated to compete again. I really wish he would be here on the track today. It doesn't feel the same.”
No vaulter was required to reach the automatic qualifying height of 5.75m, with three clearing at 5.70m – Menno Vloon of the Netherlands, Oleg Zernikel of Germany and home athlete Piotr Lisek, who already has a complete set of European indoor gold, silver and bronze.
Another conspicuous absentee from the final is reigning champion and 2011 world champion Pawel Wojciechowski who exited at 5.50m.
Mamona leads triple jump qualifiers with 14.43m
Portugal’s 2016 European champion Patricia Mamona, 32, required one effort to qualify for tomorrow’s women’s triple jump final, recording 14.43m – one centimetre short of her indoor personal best.
She topped the qualifiers, with Greece’s European outdoor champion Paraskevi Papachristou second with 14.39m. Reigning champion Ana Peleteiro from Spain hit the qualifying standard exactly with 14.10m.
Defending 60m hurdles champion Nadine Visser of the Netherlands looked comfortable as she produced the fastest time of the heats, 7.92, in finishing ahead of Britain’s Cindy Semper – formerly Ofili – who ran a season’s best of 7.99.
Semper’s sister, Tiffany Porter, had already assured Great Britain of another presence in tomorrow morning’s semifinals after finishing second in her heat in 8.04 behind Hungary’s Luca Kozak, who clocked the same time.
Porter, wearing a mask in competition through her own wishes - “It’s no problem for me, I train every day in a mask” – was clear that she needed to sort out her start to be in the hunt for medals tomorrow.
Great Britain’s world indoor 60m hurdles champion and 2017 European indoor gold medallist Andrew Pozzi marginally headed the qualifiers for tomorrow morning’s semi-finals, clocking 7.52, although France’s Wilhem Belocian – one thousandth of a second slower - was credited with the same time.
Home hurdler Damian Czykier also impressed as he clocked 7.57.
Slovakia’s defending men’s 60 metres champion Jan Volko looks in confident form ahead of tonight’s final, having won his semi-final in 6.57sec ahead of Germany’s Kevin Kranz, who clocked 6.58.
But Italian champion Lamont Jacobs, who had been the fastest of the qualifiers in the opening 60 metres heats in 6.59, was the fastest of the semi-finalists, recording 6.56 ahead of Estonia’s Karl Erik Nazarov, who set a national record of 6.62.
Britain’s Andrew Robertson also took his place in the final with victory in 6.59.