by Larry Eder
Ahoure beats Fraser-Pryce and Jeter, 4 World leads
BIRMINGHAM (GBR, Feb 16): Four women world leads (60 m, 400 m, 1500 m, triple jump) highlighted the British Indoor Grand Prix at NIA Arena before the capacity crowd. But the top cheers in last event for double olympic winner Mo Farah who started his competitive year with 7:42.00 at the 3000 m. Second French Florian Carvalho 7:45.77 PB and third Lee Emanuel Goteborg standard 7:51.46. Top result of the day was sub 7 60 m sprint by Murielle Ahoure 6.99 (WL) clearly over top rivals. She is 7th ever under 7 seconds, also an African indoor record. Second olympic winner Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in her first indoor competition ever 7.09, the same time for third Barbara Pierre, fourth world champion Carmelita Jeter 7.18 and best European of the day Ivet Lalova as fifth (7.21). Ninth fastest ever and world leading 4:00.83 by Genzebe Dibaba in a solo 1500 m race. Way behind second Moroccan Siham Hilali 4:07.99 followed by German twins Elina (4:10.96) and Diana (4:11.26) Sujew. Third world lead of the evening by Natasha Hastings with 50.88 at the 400 m. She was followed by British 400 m hurdles specialists who improved their bests Perri Shakes-Drayton 51.37 and Eilidh Child 51.50. Mike Rodgers won the 60 m in 6.53 over Jamaican relay world record holder Nesta Carter 6.56 and Antoine Adams in St. Kitts duel over Kim Collins 6.60 PB to 6.61. Dwain Chambers and Lerone Clarke, both not healthy were out in heats. Top British wins for Nigel Levine at 400 m 46.34 over olympic medalists Lalonde Gordon (46.73, second) and Luguelin Santos (47.14, sixth). Michael Rimmer in dramatic 800 m finish with some falls won in 1:46.55 PB and EL ahead of Abubaker Kaki 1:46.56, Mukhtar Mohamed 1:46.58 PB and Andrew Osagie 1:46.97. Olympic medalist Abdelaati Iguider got the 1500 m in 3:37.45 over Kenyan Bethwell Birgen 3:37.57 and 2010 European 800 m champion Marcin Lewandowski 3:38.34. Young Ethiopian Teshome Dirirsa followed (3:38.71) with French steeple runner Bob Tahri debuting into the season with 3:38.73 ahead of Austrian Andreas Vojta 3:39.15. US Omo Osaghae won the hurdles drama in 7.51 PB and missed the world lead only by 0.01 ahead of European champion Sergey Shubenkov 7.58. Third Chinese Xie Wenjun 7.60 life time best over Orlando Ortega of Cuba 7.65 (equaled his PB 7.54 in heats). Co-world leader Kevin Craddock after technical difficulties was out in heats (8.15). Aleksey Dmitrik confirmed top shape with 233 clearance over Robbie Grabarz, Ivan Ukhov and Donald Thomas (all 229). In remaining women events olympic medalist Yekaterina Poistogova in 2:02.25 beat Jenny Meadows in her come back 2:02.86 at the 800 m. Helen Clitheroe headed sevent runners (mostly Europeans) to sub 9 times with 8:50.16. In close 60 m hurdles Danielle Carruthers got 8.11 over Lori Smith and Tiffany Porter (both 8.12). In three women technical events two home wins. Holly Bleasdale on count-back over Yarisley Silva, both 470, in long jump nice 678 for Shara Proctor. In women triple jump Olha Saladuha of Ukraine world leading 14.61 over Trecia Smith 14.20.
NATIONAL SENIOR INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS IN EUROPE
FRANCE (Aubiere): In expected 60 m final Jimmy Vicaut again equaled his PB and European leading mark 2013 with 6.53. Surprise second Emmanuel Biron 6.63 and only third Christophe Lemaitre 6.69. Excellent 7.53 at 60 m hurdles by Pascal Martinot-Lagarde who equaled his PB ahead of Dimitri Bascou 7.56. Good triple jump 16.94 by Harold Correa ahead of Karl Taillepierre 16.83 and Benjamin Compaore 16.65. Excellent European leading mark 2013 by 200 m winner Johanna Danois 22.81. Close hurdles final for Reina-Flor Okori 8.03 over Alice Decaux 8.04 and Cindy Billaud 8.07. Melanie Melfort cleared 193 in high jump and Marion Lotout 440 in the pole vault. European champion Eloyse Lesueur leaped to 663 long jump win. Good life-time best 52.64 in 400 m heats by Marie Gayot.
SPAIN (Sabadell): National title number 12 in a row for Ruth Beitia with 190 in the high jump. Fresh national record holder Angel David Rodriguez jogged into the finish of the 60 m (7.58) because of an injury. Winner Javier Sanz clocked 6.80. Juan Carlos Higuero won the 3000 m title in 7:55.82 over Carlos Alonso 7:57.60 PB, Jesus Espana 7:57.61. Good technical wins for Vicente Docavo 16.60 in triple and Ursula Ruiz 17.29 in shot put.
GREECE (Pireas): Long jumper Yeóryios Tsákonas produced the best mark of the first day. He confirmed his excellent shape with a splendid 815 leap in his last attempt, while in previous rounds he also recorded three marks over 8m (full series are 7.73, x, 8.02, 8.06, 8.01, 8.15), despite a sluggish start which was partly due to Loúis Tsátoumas opening effort of 8.08. Tsátoumas suffered a rare defeat, but with this jump he achieved the European indoor standard. The high jump will be another event with two representatives in Goteborg, as behind winner KonstadÃnos Baniótis (229), Antónios Mástoras equaled his lifetime pb with 225. Two unlucky persons were MihaÃl Stamatóyiannis, just four cm shy of the shot put standard with 19.71 (19.75 is needed) and 60 m champion EfthÃmios Steryioúlis, who clocked 6.67, 0.02 slower than the qualifying time of 6.65. Other notable winners were Andréas Dimitrákis in the 1500 m with yet another pb 3:43.55, and Pétros KiriakÃdis in 400m with 47.68. The pole vault was the most interesting event in the women competition. Stélla-Iró Ledáki was the overall winner with 435, but missed once again the Goteborg standard of 445. Second place and indoor pb for Loréla Mánou, 430, while Nikoléta Kiriakopoúlou felt pain in the waist and managed only 425 before failing twice at 435 and quitting the competition. Interesting marks by non-Greek guest women: in the 1500m Albanian Luiza Gega ran a solo race and notched another national indoor record in 4:09.90.
ITALY (Ancona): Italian champs opened an excellent competition of world leader Alessia Trost. She had only 5 jumps to fly over 195 and three times missed 201 cm. Interesting men long jump where it was the day of Stefano Tremigliozzi with a good 795 ahead of Kevin Ojiaku 791. Pole Vault men the title went to Giorgio Piantella with 550 cm. Chiara Rosa is back and won the women shot put with solid 18.11. Young Antonella Palmisano was the winner of 3000 m walk in solid 12:53.63. Giorgio Rubino topped men 5000 m walk in 19:32.51. In men hurdles after top times in heats and semis the expected duel did not happen. Paolo Dal Molin (7.82 and 7.67) had technical problems and Emanuele Abate (7.83 and 7.75) did not start. The title went so to Stefano Tedesco 7.87. On the women side Veronica Borsi won the title in fast 8.00 life-time best.
SWEDEN (Norrköping): Odain Rose confirmed sub 6.70 shape with 6.68 60 m win. Good 3000 m by Nacerddine Hallil of Algeria 7:57.36 and Adil Bouafif 7:58.44. Denmark guest Nick Ekelund-Arenander won the 400 m heat in 47.02. Young Irene Ekelund got the 60 m title in 7.39 over Moa Hjelmer 7.50 PB. Angelica Bengtsson cleared 435 to win the pole vault and Helena Engman achieved 17.04 in the shot put.
PORTUGAL (Pombal): New national record and second best in the world this year 12:21.56 at 3000 m walk by Ana Cabecinha highlighted the first day. Second Ines Henriques 12:25.36 and third Vera Santos 13:03.49. Sara Moreira won the 1500 m in 4:13.59. On the men side walking for Joao Vieira 19:29.06 at the 5000 mm and Diogo Antunes 6.77 in the 60 m. Edi Maia cleared 550 in the pole vault.
CZECH REPUBLIC (Praha): In the Stromovka Hall Katerina Cechova impressed with new national indoor record 7.24 at 60 m. Second Barbora Prochazkova hugely improved to 7.33. Jan Veleba won the men 60 m with Goteborg standard 6.67 and the same for Martin Ma
zac who got the hurdles in 7.74. Lucie Skrobakova with 8.04 at 60 m Hurdles and Jirina Svobodova with 447 in the pole vault confirmed good shape.
POLAND (Spala): Good 1500 m race with Goteborg standard for Szymon Krawczyk 3:42.27 ahead of Damian Roszko 3:42.56 and Mateusz Demczyszak 3:42.59. Kamil Krynski won the 60 m in 6.72. Good jumping when Piotr Lisek and Robert Sobera cleared 550 in the pole vault and Adrian Strzalkowski equaled his long jump best 788 cm.
FINLAND (Jyvaskyla): Ella Rasanen confirmed her talent with another senior 400 m record 52.99 while still beeing a junior. Mina Nikkanen cleared 441 in the pole vault and good sprints by Visa Hongisto (6.72) and Hanna-Maari Latvala (7.34 equaled her best). South African guest Khotso Mokoena got 15.68 in the triple jump.
IRELAND (Athlone): Robert Heffernan won the 5000 m walk in 19:13.03 and Amy Foster clocked good PB 7.33 in 60 m women heats.
NETHERLANDS (Apeldoorn): In the programme mostly heats and semifinals. Jamile Samuel was the fastest in women 60 m semis 7.34 and Thijmen Kuipers clocked good 1:48.51 in men 800 m heats. Multiple junior medalist Dafne Schippers won the long jump with indoor PB of 628 cm.
SWITZERLAND (Magglingen): Rolf Fongue achieved the top mark with 6.65 over 60 m. Also to note great improvement of Selina Buchel to 2:02.83 in the 800 m heats. Ellen Sprunger won the 60 m in 7.36 PB.
BULGARIA (Dobrich): Already second day produced interesting improvement for Daniel Dobrev 804 in the long jump. Gabriela Petrova bettered her triple best to 14.14 ahead of Gita Dodova 13.96. Venelina Veneva cleared 189 to win the high jump.
LITHUANIA (Siauliai): Second day here and Gintare Nesteckyte cleared 183 in the high jump as the best result.
ESTONIA (Tallinn): Top result the Goteborg standard 8.25 by Grit Sadeiko in women 60 m hurdles.
SLOVENIA (Ljubljana): One day event produced 7.42 by Sara Strajnar in 60 m and 8.34 by Marina Tomic at 60 m Hurdles.
SERBIA (Novi Sad): Ivana Spanovic improved her national indoor long jump record to 665 cm and Asmir Kolasinac showed impressive shot put shape with 20.45. During this one day event decathlete Mihail Dudas tested his shape in three events. Won hurdles (8.19) and long jump (731) and was fifth in shot put (14.22).
CROATIA (Rijeka): Nedzad Mulabegovic with best result of one day championships: 20.08 in the shot put. Alen Melon cleared 220 in the high jump.
OTHER RESULTS
FLORO (NOR, Feb 16): At Floro Indoor Meet national record holder Jaisuma Saidy Ndure showed good shape with 6.63 in the 60 m and new national indoor record 10.30 in the 100 m. In hurdles Belarus Maksim Lynsha with 7.73 won the first race over Vladimir Vukicevic 7.77, but in second Lynsha was disqualified and Vukicevic won with Norwegian U23 record 7.71. Russian wins on the women side. Elizaveta Savlinis 7.36 at 60 m and 11.57 in the 100 m. Nina Argunova was the best in 60 m hurdles 8.18 and 100 m hurdles 13.16.
POTSDAM (GER, Feb 16): Olympic medalist Bjorn Otto is continuing in winning competitions. With 583 in third attempt he was the best at the Shopping Center jumping. Otto tried afterwards at 601. Second Hendrik Gruber with new personal best 573. Third Rasmus Jorgensen of Denmark with 563 life-time best. Steven Lewis followed with 553 ahead of Giuseppe Gibilisco 553 and German Carlo Paech 553 also.
BUDAPEST (HUN, Feb 16): Pentathlon National Championships winner is Györgyi Farkas (4171) who was married to Attila Zsivoczky (world champs 3th in Decathlon in 2005) at the end of last year. Second is Xénia Krizsán (2nd in Heptathlon in world junior champs in 2012) with 4143 pb. In open 800 m race Tamas Kazi clocked 1:48.15.
HALLE (GER, Feb 16): Tony Zeuke achieved 64.48 with 1.5 kg discus at the German Junior and Youth Winter Throwing Championships. Also to note Aleksej Mikhailov 75.68 with 5 kg hammer.
MERSIN (TUR, Feb 16): Turkish record holder Ercument Olgundeniz achieved 64.71 in discus during 1st day of Turkish Winter Throws Championships.
PERTH (AUS, Feb 15): Olympic pole vault winner 2008 Steven Hooker cleared 500 cm at the West Australian State Champs.
NATHAN (AUS, Feb 16): Olympic hurdles winner Sally Pearson started the season with 23.51 (-0.8) 200 m win.
KAMPALA (UGA, Feb 16): Former World Cross country silver medallist Moses Kipsiro and Viola Chemos were crowned Uganda cross country champions at the Jinja Club grounds. Kipsiro clocked 36:28 at 12 km ahead of Philip Kiplimo 36:47. In women 8 km Chemos had 28:38 with Juliet Chekwel second 28:50 and third former steeple world champion Dorcus Inzikuru 29:07. Nancy Cheptegei won junior girls 6 km 21:15 and Michael Cherop junior boys 8 km 24:42.
CORRECTION
NAIROBI (KEN): Rosefline Chepngetich is training partner to Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon, not a sister.
