Serbia's Angelina Topić took a record-breaking win, clearing 2.00m for the first time to win at the 32nd Tipos Banskobystricka latka, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting, while Czechia's Jan Stefela won the men’s event with a world-lead 2.32m.
- Re-watch the meet on European Athletics' YouTube channel
The 20-year-old world bronze medallist had glided seemingly effortlessly over 1.85m all the way through to 1.98m, but Topic’s first attempt at 2.00m saw her bail out of her jump and have to try again.
Her second attempt, with a smirk peeking through, and with a deep breath she started her run up before beautifully skimming over the bar to the eruption of applause as she improved her national record by two centimetres.
Topić glanced back at the bar to check it was still on, and then just lay there for a few seconds – soaking up the feeling of finally cracking the two-metre mark before celebrating with her coach and father Dragutin Topić, himself a former European champion indoors and outdoors.
His daughter, the Rome 2024 European Athletics Championships silver medallist, had jumped 1.98m and 1.96m this year, along with 1.98m twice back in 2024, so was more than confident that she had the performance in her.
"It's about time"
“I was like ‘finally, it’s about time,’ she jested after the event. “I came to this competition and my only thought was, I have to jump two metres, so I couldn’t be happier and more satisfied with that.
“Before I jumped, I thought it would [be tough] but after I jumped I thought I need to do 2.02 now. I know I have it in my legs we just need to wait for the right moment, today it was ‘only two metres’ but I know I am ready, so I am very excited to see what comes next.”
Jamaica’s Lamara Distin took second with a season’s best of 1.96m, but the second standout performance of the competition came from Sweden’s Louise Ekman in third place.
The 28-year-old jumped an incredible three PB’s improving her best from 1.91m to 1.96m to the sheer disbelief of herself and her coach – and she has added an amazing nine centimetres to her PB this year.
It took her three attempts to clear 1.92m and two attempts for 1.94m and 1.96m, with her shock visibly growing more and more with each clearance.
Australia’s Eleanor Patterson, 2022 World Champion and 2024 Olympic bronze medallist, surprisingly had to settle for fourth after going no higher than 1.94m.
Stefela wins maiden title with world lead
World outdoor bronze medallist Jan Stefela won the men’s competition with a world-leading jump of 2.32m, dethroning the 2025 world indoor champion Sanghyeok Woo from South Korea who cleared 2.30m for third place.
Czechia's reigning European indoor silver medallist, Stefela opened his season on home soil in Trinec on 10 February with a slightly disappointing 2.25m.
But he eased past that height on Tuesday, not measuring a failure until 2.30m where he was the last athlete to knock the bar off with everyone else failing on at least one attempt at a lower height.
Japan’s Tomohiro Shinno placed second with a season's best of 2.30m while Poland's emerging star Mateusz Kolodziejski cleared 2.28m for the second time this season after the 23-year-old had jumped 2.30m in Hustopece earlier this month.
The 2.26m mark seemed to pose a challenge to most of the field with five of the 13 men going out at this height after clearing 2.22m in Banska Bystrica, including the Italian duo of Christian Falocchi and Marco Fassinotti.
Photos by James Rhodes