by Alfonz Juck
I know that this may come as a surprise to many, but the other events in the Copernicus Cup were exciting as well….EME News has provided updates on each event.
World record but also fast women 400 and 1500 m
TORUN (POL, Feb 8): The site of next year European Indoor saw a superb meet before enthusiastic capacity crowd of 5500. Highlighted by very special World all-time best height 617 of Mondo Duplantis. But also Polish record in the 400 m women, World U20 record in the women 1500 m and in total World leads in four events. Also the scoring within the World Indoor Tour is now more interesting with several open clashes with 3 meets still coming.
Men
60m – Slovakia’s European indoor champion Jan Volko won in 6.58 despite bad start, just ahead of Joris Van Gool in a 6.59 PB and Richard Kilty in 6.60.
400m – Kuwait’s Yousef Karam clocked 46.26 NR to beat European indoor bronze medallist Tony van Diepen from the Netherlands in 46.78.
800m – Kenya’s Collins Kipruto won the last event of the programme in a 1:45.86 PB ahead of Poles Adam Kszczot (1:46.01) and Marcin Lewandowski (1:46.05) and Germany’s Marc Reuther (1:46.26), his first defeat of the season.
1500m – In this additional race Spain’s European U23 champion Ignacio Fontes won in a 3:38.57 PB from Brazil’s Thiago Andre in 3:39.13 South American indoor record.
60m hurdles – In a repeat of the 2018 World Indoor Championships, Andrew Pozzi and Jarret Eaton were first and second in 7.53 and 7.54 respectively. Damian Czykier was third in a PB of 7.54, just 0.03 off the Polish record, with Hungary’s Valdo Szucs improving to 7.59 in fourth.
Pole vault – After coming so close in Dusseldorf on Tuesday, Sweden’s Armand Duplantis, 20, eclipsed Renaud Lavillenie’s world record with a second time clearance at 6.17m. He had first time clearances at 5.52m, 5.72m, 5.92m and 6.01 WL at the time.
Shot put – Tomas Stanek almost regained the world lead with 21.86m in the third round. European champion Michal Haratyk opened with 21.50m with Filip Mihaljevic from Croatia third with 21.42m. World leader Konrad Bukowiecki could only manage 20.39m to finish sixth.
Women
60 – Shania Collins from the United States beat Slovenia’s Maja Mihalinec, 7.24 to 7.26.
400m – Justyna Swiety-Ersetic set a world lead of 51.37 in the first of two races to smash her Polish record of 51.78 ahead of Lisanne de Witte (51.90) and Lea Sprunger (51.93). In the second race, Iga Baumgart-Witan ran down Czech Republic’s Lada Vondrova in the home straight, 52.39 to 52.41.
1500m – Off a fast early pace (62.83 at 400m, 2:07.90 at 800m), Gudaf Tsegay clocked a world lead of 4:00.09 (lasted until Millrose mile) ahead of Ethiopian teammate Lemlem Hailu who broke the world indoor U20 record with 4:01.79. Morocco’s Rababe Arafi was third in 4:02.46.
60m hurdles – Alina Talay is close to her best form after injury. She won in 7.87 (7.93 in the heats), just 0.02 outside her Belarusian record. Tobi Amusan and Christina Clemons were second and third respectively, both timed at 7.89.
Long jump – Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk concluded her series with a 6.96m world lead but any of her six jumps (6.64m, 6.63m, 6.73m, 6.85m, 6.77m, 6.96m) would have won the competition. Nigeria’s Ese Brume was second with 6.62m.
