Angelina Topic was a delighted winner of the women’s competition at the 30th edition of the famed Banskobystricka latka – the Banska Bystrica international high jump meeting – equalling her Serbian national record with a clearance at 1.97m on Tuesday (13).
“I couldn’t be more satisfied, it’s a dream come true as I wanted to compete here since I was young and to come here win, equal my national record and personal best,” said the 18-year-old Topic, after her victory at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting in Slovakia.
“This is perfect preparation for the World Indoor Championships, which are just around the corner [which will be held in Glasgow between 1-3 March].”
Topic was flawless throughout the competition, clearing six consecutive heights in impressive fashion, before her first failures came when attempting 2.00m, a height only five U20 women high jumpers have ever negotiated.
The 2023 European Athletics Rising Star of the Year recipient and reigning European U20 champion cleared 1.97m outdoors twice last summer but this was the first time she had achieved such a height under cover.
The record-equalling performance also moved Topic up to equal-second on the 2024 world lists.
“The attempts at 2.00m gave me some experience so I hope this height will come soon,” she added, her jumping getting the seal of approval from her father, coach and former European champion Dragutin who was among the 2000 capacity crown in Banska Bystrica’s Dukla Sports Hall.
On a night of personal superlatives, Slovenia’s Lia Apostolovski finished second with 1.95m, which equalled her lifetime best, while Bulgaria’s two-time European Athletics Championships silver medallist Mirela Demireva was third with 1.93m.
An enthralling men’s contest saw Germany’s 2022 European Athletics Championships silver medallist Tobias Potye and Ukraine’s Oleh Doroshchuk both clear 2.30m, an indoor best for the former and a lifetime best indoors or out for the latter, the pair also equalling the 2024 European leading mark.
The pair finished second and third respectively on the night but had to concede victory to Korea’s 2022 world indoor champion Woo Sanghyek, who was the only one of the trio to go over 2.32m.
Phil Minshull for European Athletics