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Guttormsen soars over 6.00m at the NCAA Indoor Championships

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Only five days after propelling himself to the European indoor pole vault title in Istanbul, Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen broke uncharted territory at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque on Friday (10) evening.

Defying any effects of fatigue or jet-lag having travelled some nine timezones, Guttormsen soared over 6.00m on his second attempt to seal the US collegiate title for the third time and become only the ninth European to clear the six metre-mark indoors.

Great Britain’s Yusuf Bizimana was also among the European winners at the NCAA Indoor Championships, winning the men’s 800m title in 1:46.02 while teammate Amber Anning ran the first leg of the University of Arkansas’ 4x400m relay team which ran comfortably under Russia's long-standing world record of 3:23.37 with 3:21.75.

However, that time will not be ratified as a world record as the team was made up of athletes from different nationalities.  

Abdi breaks the one hour-barrier in Gent

Olympic and world marathon medallist Bashir Abdi broke the one hour-barrier in the half marathon for the first time in the Gent Half Marathon on Sunday (12).

And in crossing the line in 59:51, Abdi also smashed the long-standing Belgian record of 60:18 which had previously belonged to Mohamed Mourhit.

“I had to fight hard against the wind. So it was not easy, but I am very satisfied and very happy that I succeeded…I knew I had it [the national record] in me and on a faster course I can go even faster, I think,”  said Abdi as reported by Sporza.

Abdi’s main target this spring is the Rotterdam Marathon on 16 April and a possible assault on his European record of 2:03:36, a mark which he set en route to victory in this race in 2021.

 

On the road to the Boston Marathon next month, European bronze medallist Nienke Brinkman won the Den Haag Half Marathon on Sunday (12) in a lifetime best of 67:44. 

Multiple Austrian champion Andreas Vojta also ran a lifetime best of 62:30 in the Vienna Half Marathon on Sunday en route to the Vienna Marathon next month which will represent his first proper attempt at the distance.

Elsewhere around Europe...

Nadia Battocletti won her 30th national title across all age-groups and terrains at the Italian Cross Country Championships in Gubbio on Sunday (12).

The four-time European cross country champion won in gun-to-tape fashion, winning the senior women’s 8km in 27:09 by over one minute.

“With this race I finish my winter season, now I will stop for two weeks and then I will start preparing for the summer season: among the confirmed races, there will be the Oslo 5000m in the Diamond League,” said Battocletti as quoted by FIDAL.

Fresh from breaking the one hour-barrier on his half marathon debut in Paris last weekend, Jimmy Gressier also rounded off his winter season with victory at the French Cross Country Championships in muddy conditions in Carhaix on Sunday (12).

And never one to shy away from an exuberant celebration, Gressier crossed the finish-line eating a Crepe Bretonne - a local delicacy - which was handed to him in the finishing straight.

In Laredo on Saturday (11) evening, triathlete Paula Herrero finished fourth in a Spanish 10km record of 31:23.

Steven Mills for European Athletics




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