TORUN SPECIAL: Top championships event is back, European athletes hungry to compete: The 2021 EA Indoor Champs day 1

The site of 2021 EA Indoor Champs, Torun, Poland, via BBC TV, photo by Stuart Weir

The team at EME News puts together this peview on the events at the 2021 EA Indoor Champs, 4 March-7 March 2021.

EME NEWS (MAR 4, 2020) TORUN SPECIAL

Top championships event is back, European athletes hungry to compete

TORUN (POL): Poland will for second time after 1975 in Katowice host the European indoors with the 36th edition. Since Doha 2019 this will be the first top championships in pandemic times. No spectators, testing, bubbles, social distancing, all this will be remembered. For second time after 2017 no Russian athletes will compete in any format. But athletes are hungry to compete so there is record participation of more than 700 athletes from 47 countries. So far the record was 615 athletes in 2015, top number of countries was 49 in last three editions. Great interest and depth was marked in running events, where the number of participants increased comparing to previous editions. The main headline duel should be Duplantis vs Lavillenie in pole vault, also Ingebrigtsen brothers in both 1500 m and 3000 m against local hero Lewandowski. Yaroslava Mahuchikh can attack World indoor record in high jump. World leaders in 9 events are competing, interestingly 10 male individual title defenders are competing, among women only four. Championships records possible in men´s 1500 m, 3000 m, pole vault, on the women side possibilities in high jump and relay.

EVENT BY EVENT SHORT PREVIEW

MEN

60 m: Jacobs looks to be clear, behind him wide open with fast German and French sprinters, title defender Volko also there.

400 m: Maslak won in Madrid the tour, Jordier is another contender and Bonevacia is the best on paper.

800 m: World traveller Webb after Giles withdrawal is the British hope, but there many others to be considered, Kszczot, Tuka, Bosse top medalists from the past, defender de Arriba, newcomer Garcia.

1500 m: Ingebrigtsens vs Lewandowski part one, newcomers on top Szogi, Fontes, Gourley to be considered too. And if slow, many things can happen.

3000 m: Ingebrigtsens vs Lewandowski part two, also to watch Katir, Foppen and Gressier.

60mH: Belocian vs Pozzi the top clash for gold, Dal Molin and Czykier for bronze.

HJ: Tamberi show expected. Nedasekau can spoil it. Bronze wide open, surprise from Carmoy?

PV: The top highlight Duplantis vs Lavillenie. Both in 6 m shape. After last weekend Vloon clear for bronze, but Lisek will be at home.

LJ: Tentoglou ready to defend and in shape, who can stand in his way? Montler or surprises from Bitan and Fincham-Dukes.

TJ: Pichardo is clear favorite, also Raffin and Hess looking to be the next podium options.

SP: After some withdrawals, Haratyk will feel more safer, but Stanek is ready, Mihaljevic no competition but is also prepared, nordic surprise also possible.

Hept: Mayer is in shape, if no mistake hard to beat. Urena defender, Kazmirek medal plans. Wiesoliek at home as dark horse.

4×400 m: Netherlands based on this years times, Belgium in top composition with 3 Borlees, Czechs with Maslak. Poland the usual relay suspect.

WOMEN

60 m: After home favorite Swoboda out, it looks good for Del Ponte, German Lederer is fast but not too much experience, French Ombissa, dark horse Kempinnen.

400 m: Dutch dominance, Bol and Klaver (depends how fast she opens), Swiety and Miklos also counted to fight for medals.

800 m: This looks good for Jozwik, motivated, on return path. Young Hodgkinson is also a factor. Hynne, Irish trio and not to forget Cichocka.

1500 m: This is open. Krause is global player in steeple, Vanderelst on paper, but could be anybody, maybe Guerrero, Barysevich or somebody unexpected (Archer or Trost).

3000 m: Top Slovenian duo concentrates on this event (Mismas, Lukan), also top Dutch duo (Koster, Vastenburg) with Ockenden dark horse and never underestimate Bahta.

60mH: Visser is the clear choice, but in hurdles so many things can happen, Porter and Neziri waiting, strong Polish duo there too.

HJ: Mahuchikh on top is the statement. Levchenko to be the next and Demidik with Italians and Lake for bronze.

PV: Bradshaw the favorite. Zhuk, Sutej and Polak for other medals.

LJ: The youngest Iapichino leads the lists, but Mihambo is World champion and Sagnia with Mironchyk and Bekh also ready.

TJ: European champion Papahristou comes with WL and PB achieved in Torun. Skvartsova, Peleteiro and Mamona must be counted too.

SP: Here also looks clear for Dongmo, silver for Schwanitz and bronze Roos. Will it be really so?

Pent: Thiam is the star, Vidts leads the lists, Dadic is in shape.

4×400: Who will question Netherlands this year? Poland is against this statement.

GLASGOW 2019 FLASH BACK (589 athletes from 49 countries)

EUROPEAN INDOOR RECORDS
2 – 45.05 Warholm equalled, + J. Ingebrigtsen European U20 record

WORLD LEADS
7 – Muir 3000 m 8:30.61, KJT 4983 pentathlon (4th best ever score), Sprunger 400 m sf+f, Tentoglou long jump, Spanovic long jump and Urena heptathlon

ADDITIONAL EUROPEAN LEADS
7 – 21.65 Haratyk, Warholm, Tamberi HJ, Peleteiro triple jump, Visser 60mH, Belgium men 4×400 m and Poland women 4×400 m

MEET RECORDS
5 – Muir 3000 m 8:30.61, in pentathlon 8.09 Ndama, 196 KJT equalled, 2:09.13 KJT, Warholm 400 m

TITLE DEFENDERS
3 + one relay – Muir 1500/3000, Spanovic long jump, Lewandowski 1500 m, Poland women 4×400 m, rest of 12 competing individual Belgrade gold medalists were not succesful and 8 were not competing at all.

MEDALS
1. POL 5-2-0, 2. GBR 4-6-2, 3. ESP 3-2-1, 4. NOR 2-1-1-, 5. GRE 1-2-1, 6. NED 1-1-3. In total 25 countries got medals.

POINTS
1. GBR 122,5, 2. POL 72, 3. FRA 72, 4. ESP 69, 5. GER 66.5, 6. UKR 48.5. In total 34 countries got points.

AGENTS (by gold medals, individual)
Daniel Wessfeldt 2, Valentina Fedyushina 2, Steffen Keil 2, Alfons Juck 2,

SCORE
Glasgow scored per IAAF rankings 46 455 points, it is the highest in the 21st century. It is followed by Prague 2015 46 260 and Belgrade 2017 46 254. Fourth best is Paris 2011 (46 223) ahead of Goteborg 2013 (46 162) and Vienna 2002 (45 894).

BELGRADE 2017 FLASH BACK (532 athletes from 49 countries)

MEDALS
1. POL 7-1-4, 2. GBR 5-4-1, 3. GER 2-2-5, 4. FRA 2-1-0, 5. CZE 1-2-4, 6. ESP 1-2-1, 26 countries got medals.

POINTS
1. POL 103, 2. GBR 103, 3. GER 100, 4. SWE 63, 5. FRA 61.5, 6. ESP 61, 36 countries won points.

EUROPEAN INDOOR RECORD
1 – Mayer 6479

ADDITIONAL WORLD LEADS
9 – Thiam 4870, Nykyforov 818, Hess 17.52, Marton 19.28, Palsyte 201, Stefanidi 485, Bukowiecki 21.97, Spanovic 703, Spanovic 724

ADDITIONAL EUROPEAN LEADS
7 – Kilty 6.54, Maslak 45.88, Muir 4:02.39, Gierisch 14.37, Poland 3:06.99, Poland 3:29.94, Philip 7.06

WORLD INDOOR U20 RECORD
1 – Raffin 17.20

MEET RECORDS
4 – Thiam 196 (Heptathlon HJ), Muir 4:02.39, Muir 8:35.67, Mayer 6479

TITLE DEFENDERS
7 – Marton, Kilty, Maslak, Lewandowski (but in other event), Evora, Buchel, Kszczot (with one term passing)

WORLD MASTERS RECORD
1 – Donato 17.13

AGENTS (by gold medals)
Czeslaw Zapala 3, Steffen Keil 2, Stina Funke/Daniel Wessfeldt 2, Rene Auguin 2

SCORE
Belgrade is the second best European Indoor Championships of 21st century based on All-Athletics.com scoring. But it was very close with the top score of Prague 2015. The event in Czech Republic 2 years ago had 46 260 points while Belgrade 46 254. Third best is Paris 2011 (46 223) ahead of Goteborg 2013 (46 162) and Vienna 2002 (45 894).