European 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson laid a marker of intent for 2023 as she broke the world indoor best over 600m at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Bronze meeting in Manchester, Great Britain on Saturday (28).
In her first race of the year, and her first attempt over the unconventional distance, she ran to a searing 1:23.41, taking 0.03 off the record previously held by Russia's Olga Kotlyarova.
Afterwards, the 20-year-old Olympic and world silver medallist said: “I didn’t publicise it but I was going for the world record. My family is here, I train here all the time, but I don’t like running on my home track because I associate it with training and it just feels weird, but today it was fun.
“I came here to execute. I’ve been training so hard. This winter has been tough so I’m just happy to come out and start the season with a bang.”
Full results of the Manchester indoor meeting can be found here.
Easy as Pia
Poland's European 100m hurdles champion Pia Skrzyszowska continued her excellent form at the ISTAF Indoor meeting in Dusseldorf, Germany on Sunday (29).
She stormed to an indoor PB of 7.84 over 60m hurdles, equalling the fastest time in the world this year set by USA's Alaysha Johnson, who was third in 7.88 with Finland’s Reetta Hurske splitting the pair in second place with 7.86.
There was a Polish double in the sprint hurdles with Jakub Szymanski winning the men’s final in 7.63.
2019 European indoor 60m gold medallist Ewa Swoboda made it a memorable day for the Polish contingent at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver event, narrowly beating home favourite and European 100m gold medallist Gina Luckenkemper in a photo finish after both had been timed at 7.18.
But the packed crowd were given a welcome home win by current Olympic and world champion Malaika Mihambo in the women’s long jump, who left it late to clinch the win. The German uncorked a Eiuropean-leading leap of 6.83m in the final round to beat long-time leader Jazmin Sawyers, from Great Britain, who had led with a third-round best of 6.50m.
Full results of the ISTAF Indoor meeting can be found here.
Monster Leap for Montler
Sweden’s Thobias Montler produced this year’s furthest long jump in the world so far, in winning at the Folksam GP in Stockholm on Sunday. In a consistent series of three eight-metre jumps, the European silver medallist indoors and outdoors leapt to a best of 8.19m to kick start his season at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Bronze meeting.
Italy’s European U18 champion Mattia Furlani jumped a European U20 indoor record of 7.99m for second place.
There were further Swedish victories courtesy of Andreas Kramer and Henrik Larsson. World indoor finalist Kramer won the men’s 800m in 1:45:90, whilst Larsson won the men’s 60m in a national record of 6.56.
Full results of the Folksam GP can be found here.
Boston 3000m Party
On Friday, on the other side of the Atlantic, Great Britain's 2019 European Indoor finalist Sam Atkin produced a men’s 3000m national record at the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic.
Chasing home USA's Yared Nuguse, who ran a North American record of 7:28.24, Atkin followed home in 7:31.97, the second fastest time by a European athlete ever, and just 1.15 shy of Adel Mechaal’s European record from last year.
Mechaal’s fellow Spaniard and European 1500m bronze medallist Mario Garcia was third in 7:34.74, taking him to eighth on the all-time European list.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics.