Luvo Manyonga sets African record and WL in Metz with his 8.40m LJ

METZ (FRA, Feb 11): World champion Luvo Manyonga went out to an African long jump record and world-lead of 8.40m (also 8.22m and 8.27m) at the Meeting Elite en Salle de Metz, improving Ghana’s Ignisious Gaisah’s record by four centimetres. Cuban teenager Juan Miguel Echevarria also impressed with an outright lifetime best of 8.34m in the sixth round with Greece’s European U20 champion Miltiadis Tentoglou third with 7.95m. Double world silver medallist Marie Josee Ta-Lou equalled teammate Murielle Ahoure’s world-lead in the 60m with 7.07 ahead of Carina Horn who improved her South African record again to 7.09. Jamaica’s Kimmari Roach won the men’s 60m in 6.59 from Ivory Coast’s Ben Youssef Meite (6.61, 6.55 in heats) and Iran’s Hassan Taftian (6.63) while Christophe Lemaitre won the B race in 6.66 as well as the 200m in a European-leading 20.53. Elsewhere in the sprints, Cuba’s Roger Iribarne won the 60m hurdles in 7.59 (indoor debut) from Hungary’s Balasz Baji (7.61) and Brit Dave King (7.63 equaled PB), Finland’s Nooralotta Neziri won the women’s 60m hurdles in 8.03 and Switzerland’s Sarah Atcho beat European indoor 400m champion Floria Guei over 300m, 36.89 to 37.01. Also on the track: Kenya’s Nelly Jepkosgei won the 800m in 2:01.68 from Cynthia Anais (2:02.34) and European indoor champion Selina Buchel (2:02.58) and there were wins for Ethiopia’s Tarese Tolosa over 1500m in 3:39.69 and Rwanda’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo over 3000m in 7:50.96 from Germany’s Clemens Bleistein (7:51.51). Greece’s Paraskevi Papachristou went out to 14.17m in the triple jump to beat Jamaica’s Kimberly Williams (14.08m).