Reigning European long jump champion Malaika Mihambo produced three jumps in excess of her world-leading mark of 6.70m in one of the standout performances on Friday (1) evening in front of 12,000 spectators at the ISTAF Indoor in Berlin.
After two no-jumps, Mihambo sailed out to 6.94m on her third attempt before two more efforts which were tantalisingly close to the seven metre-barrier: 6.99m in round four and then 6.98m in the final round.
“I hope I can top that this winter and finally get the seven metres,” said Mihambo, who also jumped 6.99m outdoors last year. “But I am in really good shape and want to prove that at the coming events and get a new PB. The one centimetre doesn't hurt me at all, I am happy about the world lead.”
What a series for European champion Malaika Mihambo at the ISTAF Indoor in Berlin!
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) February 1, 2019
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6.94m WL
6.99m WL
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6.98m pic.twitter.com/mkqZbJLmGS
In a repeat of the finishing order from the European Championships in Berlin where Mihambo won one of the six gold medals for the hosts, Ukraine’s Maryna Bekh-Romanchyk was second in an indoor lifetime best of 6.73m.
On her return from an injury which knocked her out of the European Championships final, Serbia’s reigning world and European indoor champion Ivana Spanovic was third with 6.65m.
Dutkiewicz improves world lead in the 60m hurdles
Pamela Dutkiewicz regained her world-leading mark in the 60m hurdles with 7.89 to get the better of European 100m hurdles champion Elvira Herman for the second time in the space of a week.
Dutkiewicz opened her season with a 7.91 clocking in Dortmund last weekend and the European 100m hurdles silver medallist exploded out of the blocks, holding off a late charge from reigning European indoor champion Cindy Roleder (7.91) with Herman third in 7.97.
“In practice we worked on my start and changed my technique,” said Dutkiewicz. “I used to hold my head down. Now I can accelerate better until the first hurdle. Now I need to hold that over the other hurdles too.”
There was a British double in the 60m as European silver medallist Reece Prescod opened his campaign with a European-leading mark and lifetime best of 6.53 - just 0.02 off the world lead.
6.53 #hardworkpaysoff pic.twitter.com/ayKFCNOna4
— Reece Prescod (@rprescod1) February 1, 2019
Teammate Kristal Awuah, the world U20 100m bronze medallist, improved to 7.19 in the women’s 60m ahead of Czech Republic’s Klara Seidlova (7.27) and European 100m silver medallist Gina Luckenkemper (7.30).
“Next week I will sharpen things up before my next aim: the British Championships and the European Indoor Championships,” said Awuah.
The programme concluded with the men versus women discus competition which was won by European silver medallist Nadine Muller with 63.89m ahead of Austria’s Lukas Weisshaidinger with 63.06m.
Kendricks and Duplantis raise world lead in the pole vault
Piotr Lisek’s world-leading mark of 5.85m from Cottbus lasted two nights until Sam Kendricks raised that mark to 5.86m for victory in Berlin last night ahead of the Pole.
But the reigning world outdoor champion’s newly minted world lead didn’t even last the duration of the night as European champion Armand Duplantis from Sweden took that mark to 5.87m - one centimetre shy of his indoor lifetime best - at the Bayou Bengal Invitational in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.