World Indoor Tour Final news, the word from Birmingham

The World Indoor Tour Final is to be held in Birmingham, England on Saturday, February 25, 2024. Held in a fine arena in Birmingham (I still think of it as the NAI stadium), the crowd will love the meet. I have been to this meet a dozen times, and it is the perfect end for the indoor season! These notes are from EME News, which produces a brilliant daily newsletter on athletics.

Keely Hodgkinson, Laura Muir, photo by Stuart Weir, Feb. 24, 2023.

WIT FINAL NEWS

BIRMINGHAM (GBR): Laura Muir will attack the world record of 2:30.94 for 1000m at the World Indoor Tour Final in Birmingham. “The last time I competed over the 1000m in Birmingham I got the British record (2:31.93) so hopefully I’ll get another record this time,” she said. “It’s a hard one and nasty to pace but I’ll have a go at it. It’s like running an 800m and then you keep going. It’s brutal and maybe the most painful of all distances I’ve raced over.” From AW.

Keely Hodgkinson is the new 800m champion for the 2022 European Athletics Champs, photo by Munich2022

BIRMINGHAM (GBR): At the World Indoor Tour Final, Keely Hodgkinson will have an eye on the world indoor 800m record of 1:55.82 set on the day she was born by Jolanda Ceplak in 2002. She said: “I feel I’m in pretty good shape and if things go well then I could get close to it. But in the world record race there were two of them battling all the way to the line. I’ll give it my best shot, though. It’s a really hard record to break so I’ll just go out there and do my best.” Pace is set for 57 seconds in the 400 m. From AW.

Gudaf Tsegay just does it, #2 all time indoor mile, 4:16.16, photo by Copernicus 2023

BIRMINGHAM (GBR): World 5000m champion Gudaf Tsegay is again ready to attack Genzebe Dibaba’s world indoor 3000m record of 8:16.60 that has stood since 2014. Konstanze Klosterhalfen will be a tough opposition. Late withdrawal is Reece Prescod from 60 m as he wants to be ready for Istanbul.

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Tobias Montler, photo by meeting de Lieven

BIRMINGHAM (GBR): In four events winners of the World Indoor Tour are confirmed before Saturday. In women 3000 m Lemlem Hailu and men long jump Thobias Montler. Also in two events that are not staged in Birmingham, Liadagmis Povea in the triple jump and Sarah Mitton in the shot put. Daniel Roberts and Grant Holloway will fight for the men’s 60 m hurdles overall win, Hamish Kerr with Tobias Potye and Norbert Kobielski in the men’s high jump. In the 1500 m, only Neil Gourley and Adel Mechaal have a chance to attack Yared Nuguse and his 20 points. In the women’s pole vault Bridget Williams, Alysha Newman, and Ekaterini Stefanidi have still a chance to go over leader Katie Moon who is not in Birmingham. In the 800 m, Keely Hodgkinson looks like the top favorite, but also Noelie Yarigo with Anita Horvat have chances. In women’s 60 m, only Dina Asher-Smith can attack Aleia Hobbs’s top position, but she would need to win and run faster than 7.02. Similar situation in the men’s 400 m where only Jereem Richards can change the top position of Benjamin Lobo Vedel, but he would need to finish at least third but in that case with a better time than 45.98. The overall prize money for the WIT winner is 10 000 USD and Wild Card for World Indoors in Glasgow 2024.

Jereem Richards, New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Track & Field
Boston Massachusetts, USA
February 3, 2023
World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting, photo by Kevin Morris

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Alfonz Juck

Alfonz Juck is a husband, father, statistician, announcer, journalist, organizer, agent usw, following track and field since 1972. EME NEWS is a news service relating to the sport of athletics. It is published on daily basis with additional updates, as required. Copyright is held by Alfons Juck, TOP ATHLETICS, a.s., Krikova 10, 82107 Bratislava, Slovakia. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The redistribution and/or direct reproduction of material from EME NEWS is prohibited unless permission is given by c TOP ATHLETICS (such as being included in a subscription agreement).

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