by Alfonz JuckThe 2017 European Indoor Athletics Championships will be held in Belgrade from March 3-5, 2017. The national indoor championships are all over Europe last weekend and this coming weekend. Special thanks to Alfonz Juck at EME News.
Piotr Lisek, photo by PhotoRun.net
NATIONAL INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (Feb 19)
LEIPZIG (GER): Konstanze Klosterhalfen improved her outright 1500m PB by exactly two seconds on the second day of the German Indoor Championships in Leipzig. Klosterhalfen, 20, clocked 4:04.91 (400m 63.85, 800m 2:10.91, 1200m 3:17.22) to win by more than 20 seconds while 19-year-old Alina Reh won the 3000m in a PB of 8:53.56 ahead of European steeplechase champion Gesa-Felicitas Krause (8:56.13) and Hanna Klein (8:57.86). After finishing second in the 60m, Rebekka Haase won the 200m in an outright PB and European-lead of 22.77 (22.98 in the heat) while Robin Erewa won the men’s 200m in a fast 20.52 after 20.72 in the heats. Other track highlights included Marc Koch winning the 400m in a 46.40 PB from Marvin Schlegel (46.78) and Lara Hoffmann winning the women’s final in a 52.90 PB while Marius Probst won the 1500m in 3:41.40. On the in-field, heptathlete Claudia Salman-Rath went out to 6.72m in the sixth round to beat Alexandra Wester’s 6.48m, former world champion Raphael Holzdeppe cleared 5.68m before three tries at 5.78m, European triple jump champion Max Hess won with 16.71m and Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch the high jump with 1.92m.
TORUN (POL): Piotr Lisek continued his excellent form with victory in the pole vault at the Polish Indoor Championships. After clearing 5.50m to win the contest, Lisek then cleared 5.78m and 5.83m on his first attempts before three fails at 5.90m. Former world champion Pawel Wojciechowski was only third with 5.30m. Konrad Bukowiecki went out to 20.61m in the shot from Michal Haratyk (20.30m) and Rafal Kownatke (20.11m), Kamila Licwinko cleared 1.93m to win the high jump, Anna Jagaciak-Michalska won the long jump with 6.35m after winning the triple jump yesterday while Tomasz Jaszczuk went out to 7.92m in the men’s long jump. After running a 3000m PB in Birmingham yesterday, Sofia Ennaoui claimed her national title in 8:59.08 from Renata Plis (9:01.23) and European 800m champion Adam Kszczot won in 1:47.56 from Artur Kuciapski (1:48.14). Rafal Omelko claimed a good 200/400m double in 21.14/46.60, Justyna Swiety won the women’s 400m in 52.09 from Malgorzata Holub (52.60) and Anna Kielbasinska won the women’s 200m in a 23.13 PB.
BORDEAUX (FRA): Pascal Martinot-Lagarde claimed the 60m hurdles title in 7.52 in a close race against Aurel Manga, who improved his PB to 7.53 (7.54 heat) with Wilhem Belocian third in 7.73. Ladji Doucoure clocked 8.10 in the heats in the last race of his career. Kevin Menaldo cleared 5.78m in the pole vault to seal the European Indoor Championships qualifying standard, Jean-Marc Pontvianne produced a European-leading 17.13m in the sixth round of the triple jump while Jeanine Assani Issouf won the women’s triple jump with 13.92m. Yohann Diniz won the 5000m walk in 19:14.41. Elsewhere, Thomas Jordier (47.56) and Agnes Raharolahy (52.97) won the 400m titles while Maxime Maugein (5902 points) and Portugal’s Lecabela Quaresma (4473) won the multi-event titles.
SALAMANCA (ESP): Reigning Olympic and European high jump champion Ruth Beitia cleared a season’s best of 1.96m in the high jump to claim her 16th Spanish indoor title before three attempts at 2.00m. Oscar Husillos won the 400m in a Spanish record of 45.92 from Samuel Garcia (46.35) and Lucas Bua (46.94). Veteran Angel David Rodriguez won the 60m title in 6.69 while Caridad Jerez posted 8.11 to win the women’s 60m hurdles title. Kevin Lopez won another domestic title over 800m in 1:49.23 with in-form Esther Guerrero winning the women’s 800m in 2:03.36. Marc Alcala won a tactical 1500m in 3:52.38 from 3000m winner Adel Mechaal (3:52.81) and Pablo Torrijos went out to 16.70m in the triple jump.
ANCONA (ITA): On the second day of the Italian Championships, European indoor silver medallist Silvano Chesani cleared 2.25m before three tries at 2.30m. Also on the field, Dariya Derkach went out to 14.05m in the triple jump while 16-year-old Maria Gherca cleared 4.15m in the pole vault. There were 60m titles for Massimiliano Ferraro (6.64) and Anna Bongiorni (7.30) while Marco Lorenzi 47.17 and Ayomide Folorunso 53.38 won the 400m titles. Elsewhere, 18-year-old Simone Barontini won the 800m in 1:49.40 and Giulia Viola clocked a solo 9:04.18 in the 3000m.
MOSCOW (RUS): European champion Anzhelika Sidorova cleared 470 to win women pole vault during first day of Russian indoor nationals. Olga Mullina was second with 460 and Angelina Krasnova went over 450 for third place and junior Polina Knoroz as fourth also 450 PB. Ruslan Perestyuk and Viktoriya Vruchinskaya sprinted 60 m in 6.66 and 7.40 respectively. Young talent Kristina Sivkova didn’t start in final due to fever. Yelena Korobkina won women 3000 m in 8:59.34 ahead of Yekaterina Ishova 8:59.84 and Anna Ilyina 9:00.73. On the men side Vladimir Nikitin clocked 7:54.75. Anatoliy Rybakov 7:58.32 and Aleksey Popov 7:58.95 finished second and third.
PIREÃS (GRE, Feb 19): A high quality pole vault was the highlight of the 2nd day of Greek Champs. Both FilippÃdis and KaralÃs cleared 5.70 with the former winning on countback, but the latter was the star of the event by setting two national U20 indoor records (first was 5.65) and impressive jumps over the bar. KaralÃs missed three times at 5.75, while FilippÃdis tried unsuccessfully at 5.80. The 570 by Karalis is second best ever U20 indoor performer behind Armand Duplantis 575 also this year. Both are born in 1999. Behind them DimÃtrios Patsoukákis in his first competition of the year ended at 5.55 with a narrow miss at 5.65. First triple jump contest for 2017 also for Paraskevà PapahrÃstou, who made the standard for Beograd by jumping 14.07 in the preliminary round, but managed only 13.90 in the final. Another Beograd ticket was collected by Elisávet PesirÃdou, whose winning time 8.04 in the 60m hurdles ranks her now 2nd in the all-time Greek list. DouvalÃdis won the men’s event with 7.78, but was again outside the Beograd standard.
SUMY (UKR): During final day of Ukrainian indoor nationals Olha Saladukha leaped to 14.02 SB win in triple jump. Andriy Kovalyov cleared 222 in men high jump and Anastasiya Tkachuk clocked 4:16.17 over 1500 m.
MOGILYOV (BLR): During last day of Belarussian national indoors World U20 Champion Elvira Herman (still 19) clocked 8.13 PB to win women 60m hurdles. Vitaly Parakhonka (7.79) was fastest in men race. Kanstantsin Barychevski leaped to 778 in men long jump. Veranika Shutkova won in women competition with 6.43m over junior Violetta Skvartsova 6.26m. Nastassia Puzakova achieved 9:45.66 in steeple.
MAGGLINGEN (SUI): Lea Sprunger showed top shape before Belgrade (she will contest the 400 m there) with 23.18 in heats and 22.98 (second best by European this season) in the finals of 200 m at Swiss Champs. Young Yasmin Giger (born 1999) qualified surprisingly for the 400 m when winning the title in 53.93. Second 800 m title defender Selina Buchel 54.28 PB. Angelica Moser cleared 437 in the pole vault. Hugo Santacruz won the 800 m in 1:48.46. Luca Fluck was the best in the 400 m 47.21 ahead of Ricky Petrucciani (U18 category) 47.95 (but 47.86 in heats).
JYVASKYLA (FIN): At Finnish Champs Linda Sandblom 191 in high jump national record, Arttu Kangas shot put PB 20.18 and Nooralotta Neziri good 8.08 in women hurdles. This were the highlights of 2nd day of Championships. But also Samuel Purola (born 2000) and his national U20 record in the 200 m 21.29, triple record holder Simo Lipsanen improved in long jump to 776 and Urho Kujanpaa equaled his pole vault PB with 555 win. Kristina Makela was the best in women triple with 13.87.
SKIVE (DEN): Two top results by athletes born 199
7 highlighted the 2nd day of Danish Champs. Kristoffer Hari equaled national 60 m record with 6.65 and European U20 Champion 2016 Benjamin Lobo Vedel clocked facility record 46.83 in the 400 m. European hurdles champion Sara Petersen won the 400 m in 53.67, the fastest ever in the Skive hall.
BUCURESTI (ROU): 30 years old Angela Morosanu who was already at 2004 Olympics in the 4×400 m final and then moved to 400 m hurdles started with long jump this indoor season and won the national title with solid 656 cm. Ancuta Bobocel won the 3000 m in 9:10.09.
VIENNA (AUT): Ekaterina Krasovskiy (formerly Kuntsevich) cleared 189 in high jump at Austrian Champs and qualified for Belgrade. Heptathlete Dominik Distelberger improved over 60 m hurdles to winning 7.84. Stephanie Bendrat clocked 8.23 in women hurdles.
BUDAPEST (HUN): Balazs Baji again bettered his Hungarian indoor 60 m hurdles record after Lodz with 7.53 win at the Nationals. In heats he was timed with 7.65. Greta Kerekes won women hurdles in 8.30.
BRATISLAVA (SVK): Tomas Veszelka won the triple at Slovak Champs with 16.40 PB what is also Slovak Indoor U23 record, Belgrade qualifier and 3rd best Slovak all-time indoors. Dana Veldakova won women triple with 13.37, her 15th indoor title in the event.
TALLINN (EST): From 2nd day of Estonian champs to note second gold for Marilyn Uudmae who after triple (13.40) won also the long jump with 628.
KULDIGA (LAT): Janis Vanags 220 in high jump and Elvijs Misans 16.10 in triple jump were the best results of 2nd day of Latvian Champs.
DUBLIN (IRL): Brit Leon Reid took a 6.74/21.08 sprint double at the Irish Indoor Championships while Brian Gregan posted a 46.59 season’s best to win the 400m title. Ben Reynolds achieved 7.83 in the 60m hurdles. Ciara Neville, 17, won the 60m title in 7.43 with Phil Healy stepping up to win the 400m in a 53.49 PB. Sommer Lecky, 16, won the high jump in an Irish U20 record of 1.81m.
