byLarry EderBerihu Aregawi came oh so close to the 3000m meeting record and Mondo Duplantis set a new meeting record of 6.02m. The Karlsruhe Meeting has a fine track, a reputation for great entertainment, and a meet to showcase strong European talent. Special thanks to Alfons Juck, and his team at EME News for this update.
Ethiopian star Berihu Aregawi, photo by World Athletics
Aregawi 7:26.20, Duplantis 602
KARLSRUHE (GER, Jan 28): World Indoor Tour Gold started on a high note at the INIT Indoor Meeting in Karlsruhe with 38th edition. Eighth events (out from 12) have a new world leader, four for men and women. In two events World record was realistic, Berihu Aregawi stunned the world as he won the 3000m in 7:26.20, the fifth fastest-time in history and very close from meeting record of 7:26.15 from 1998. Mondo Duplantis without surprise jumped over 6m on his indoor season opener with 6.02 nice clearance and three times seriously attacked 619.
Event by even short review:
Men
60mH: Pascal Martinot-Lagarde clocked WL of 7.54 in the final of the 60m hurdles, two hours after he equalled the WL in the heats with 7.56. Behind him new names at this big stage, both with PB´s: Enrique LLopis of Spain 7.59 and Jakub Szymanski of Poland 7.60 PB.
800m: Elliot Giles ran 1:46.78 to win the 800m race, just 0.05 ahead of Andreas Kramer (1:46.83) and Mostafa Smaili (1:47.00).
3000m: Berihu Aregawi ran the fifth fastest-time in history with 7:26.20, a WL PB and just 0.05 off the meeting record. He ran the first 1600m in an astonishing time of 3:56 and the 2000m mark in 4:56.87 (Daniel Komen during his WR had 3:59 and 5:00). Second place for Spain’s Adel Mechal in 7:36.57 PB (within top 10 of European indoor history), third Kenya’s Jacob Krop 7:38.15. Serbian NIR for Elzan Bibic in 7:44.62 for 5th.
LJ: Thobias Montler was the only man over 8m in the LJ. He jumped 802 EL in round 6 to win, also had 800 in round 2. France’s Erwan Konaté breaks official European junior indoor record with 798, also French U23 record of Teddy Tamgho equalled, and local Maximilian Entholzner third with 792.
TJ: Andreas Pantazis of Greece created an upset as he landed to a WL 16.79m, from Nazim Babayev 16.76, Max Heß 16.73m, and Simo Lipsanen 16.71m. Frenchmen Melvin Raffin (16.52) and Jean-Marc Pontvianne (NM) were nowhere in the match for a good mark.
PV: Mondo Duplantis does what he knows best, as he opened his indoor season with clean series up to 6.02, a new WL and MR. He then attacked 619 for a new world record, but failed. In second, 589 for KC Lightfoot and five more jumpers achieved 571.
Women
60m: Maribel Pérez equaled her own Spanish record to win in 7.21m, from Patrizia van der Weken 7.29 (she improved her Luxemburg NR in the heats with 7.26). Third place for Barbados’ Tristan Evelyn 7.33 SB.
400m: Anna Kielbasinska ran a WL of 51.92 to win the 400m, also a PB, from Phil Healy second 51.97, close to her PB of 51.94. Lieke Klaver wins final 2 in 52.41, the third best time of the night overall.
800m: World champion Halimah Nakaayi wins 2:02.81 WL 800m from the Germans Christina Hering (2:03.73) and Tanja Spill (2:04.39).
1500m: Ethiopian 1-2-3 in the 1500m with photo-finish win for Axumawit Embaye in 4:02.12 WL and PB, from Hirut Meshesha 4:02.14 PB and Freweyni Hailu 4:02.66 PB. Behind, Uganda’s Winnie Nanyondo clocks PB 4:04.25 and France’s Aurore Fleury gets 5th in 4:07.09 PB.
60mH: Danielle Williams ran a fast 7.84 PB to win the hurdles on a photo-finish from French rising star Cyrena Samba-Mayela (21) who clocks the same time, new NU23R, after a 7.93 PB in the heats. Third place for Reetta Hurske with 7.96 PB, 0.01 better than her previous mark.
HJ: In high jump, close battle between Emily Borthwick and Imke Onnen who both jumped an equalled-WL of 191, it ended with a tie. Olympic finalist Marija Vukovic gets third with 188, the same as fourth Yulia Levchenko.
