2019 World Indoor Tour: Tobe from nowhere, 2.35m WL, NR

KARLSRUHE (GER, Feb 2): Second leg of IAAF World Indoor Tour produced three World leads and also one meet record with full crowd seeing exciting competitions. The hero of the evening was Japanese high jumper Naoto Tobe who opened the season in superb way. Cleared first national record already with 229, but then continued in first with more records at 231 and 233 (in second try). But that was still not all as he mastered in third attempt also 235 WL, MR and had good tries at 237. It is also second place in Asian indoor all-time ranking behind Mutaz Barshim. His next meet will be Banska Bystrica on Saturday. Chinese Yu Wang equaled his PB 231 and Donald Thomas with Andriy Protsenko and Gianmarco Tamberi had 226. Poland´s Ewa Swoboda is in top shape as she clocked 7.08 60 m WL in heats and won the finals in 7.10 clearly ahead of Dafne Schippers 7.19. Third WL was in the 3000 m as British Melissa Courtney got 8:43.36 over Ethiopians Alemaz Samuel 8:43.78 and Gudaf Tsegay 8:46.27. German Alina Reh followed 8:47.40. For all top four personal bests. Surprise of the evening as Sweden´s Thobias Nilsson Montler beat with PB on count-back Cuban 2018 number one Juan Miguel Echevarria, both 808 (second attempt: 804 to 795). Another surprise in women pole vault with a 3-way tie for the top position with 471. Canadian Alysha Newman (national record), neutral Anzhelika Sidorova and Olympic winner Katerina Stefanidi. World leader Katie Nageottte fourth 463. Spain´s triple talent Ana Peleteiro with indoor PB 14.51 beat Venezuela´s World champion Yulimar Rojas 14.45 and Patricia Mamona who equaled national indoor record 14.36. Pavel Maslak with great tactical thinking won the 400 m in 46.78, Andreas Kramer topped the 800 m in 1:46.52 indoor PB and EL. Kenyans dominated the 1500 m as Vincent Kibet clocked 3:38.23 to win ahead of Bethwell Birgen 3:38.69 and French Simon Denissel getting European lead of the season 3:39.17. Nadine Visser was the women hurdles winner in 7.97 over Cindy Roleder who came on the day of the meet from Berlin 7.98, third Poland´s Karolina Koleczek equaled her PB 8.05 and fourth Reetta Hurske from Finland 8.06 (PB in heats 7.99).