Sofia Ennaoui put herself further into the medal discussion for the Glasgow 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships from 1-3 March with another lifetime best at the Czech Indoor Gala in Ostrava, a European Athletics Indoor Permit Meeting, on Tuesday (12).
After opening her season with a lifetime best of 2:00.40 over 800m in Torun last week, the Pole shaved more than a second off her best ever indoor time with victory in her specialist event - the 1500m - last night in 4:05.22 to move to second on the 2019 European indoor lists behind Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen (4:02.70).
Ennaoui won bronze at the 2017 European Indoor Championships in Belgrade behind Laura Muir and Klosterhalfen and they are likely to cross paths again at the Emirates Arena at the beginning of next month.
There was also a national record in second-place for Czech Republic’s Simona Vrzalova who followed Ennaoui home in 4:05.73 to break the long-standing mark of 4:06.22 which had stood since 1991.
Highlights from tonight's Czech Indoor Gala in Ostrava:
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) February 12, 2019
Maslak 32.79 (300m)
Tuka 1:46.75 (800m)
Bertemes 20.50m (shot put)
Ennaoui 4:05.22 (1500m) pic.twitter.com/ttNrwWP3BD
Former world bronze medallist Amel Tuka from Bosnia and Herzegovina jumped to fourth on the 2019 European lists with victory in the 800m in 1:46.75 but he was pushed all the way by Czech Republic’s Filip Snejdr who was rewarded with a lifetime best of 1:46.99.
Three-time world and European indoor 400m champion Pavel Maslak notched up another win on the boards, this time over 300m in 32.79. Latvia’s European U23 400m champion Gunta Vaicule won the women’s 300m from lane one in 37.44.
Other highlights included Luxembourg’s Bob Bertemes winning the shot put with 20.50m and Ukraine’s Yulia Chumachenko clearing 1.90m to win the high jump.