The Czech Indoor Gala welcomed another incredible level of competition on Tuesday (3) night as seven meeting records fell, five world leads were set, and 14 senior national records were broken across the event.
Attila Molnar produced the performance of the evening, amongst a host of standout achievements, with a European indoor record of 45.01 over 400m.
The Hungarian stormed out of the blocks and powered round the track with eventually just Dutch 22-year-old Jonas Phijffers clinging on, but the new record holder hunted down the line with a lactic fuelled grimace to take the win.
He snatched the record from Thomas Schonlebe and Karsten Warholm who both ran 45.05 in 1988 and 2019 respectively.
Phijffers finished in second with a 45.48 national record, and Tomas Horak in fourth with a 46.31 Czech U20 record, while Belgium’s Daniel Segers won the ‘B’ race with a big PB of 45.94.
The Netherlands’ Lieke Klaver put on a strong performance to clock a world lead of 51.00 in the 400m, while Emma Zapletalova set a Slovakian record of 51.24 and Bassant Hemida set an Egyptian record in 51.72.
800m all-time list rewritten
In a multiple record breaking 800m, Belgium’s Eliott Crestan, a world and European indoor medallist, took an impressive win setting a new meeting and national record of 1:43.83 after holding off a competitive field.
But the records didn’t stop there, with Maciej Wyderka placing second with a 1:44.07 Polish record, Mark English clocked 1:44.23 for third and another Irish record, Samuel Chapple in fourth with a 1:44.75 PB, and Marino Block in fifth with a Croatian record of 1:45.27.
The race was so impressive that it shook up the European indoor all-time list, with Crestan, Wyderka, and English moving to 3rd, 4th and 6th respectively.
In the women’s event Ethiopia’s Nigist Getachew set a meeting record of 1:59.98 and became the sixth woman this year to go under two minutes in the 800m.
Slovakia’s Gabriela Gajanova followed close behind to set a national record of 2:00.45, while Switzerland’s Valentina Rosamilia and Poland’s Margarita Koczanowa set PBs.
Furlani, Tentoglou and Saraboyukov battle in the sand
An intense battle played out in the men’s long jump between world champion Mattia Furlani, two-time Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou, and European indoor champion Bozhidar Saraboyukov.
Heading into the fifth round the trio were separated by just 1cm each, with Tentoglou leading with 8.23m, Furlani in second with 8.22m, and Saraboyukov in third with 8.21m – a jump that had earlier gave him the lead.
But the 20-year-old Italian, Furlani, flew to 8.30m to take the win, break the meeting record and back up his season opener of 8.33 from 25 January.
Ethiopian dominance and European national records over 1500m
Back on the track the women’s 1500m saw, yet again, another meeting record and a world lead from Ethiopia’s Birch Haylom who controlled the race to finish in 4:00.62.
Her fellow countrywomen Sharon Berhe, 4:01.23 for a world u20 record, and Haregeweyn Kalayu, for a 4:01.92 PB, completed the top three.
Portugal’s Salome Afonso, European indoor medallist, held onto the leading group throughout the race and nearly nabbed a top three finish, but still finished in a national record of 4:01.98.
Another national record was broken, which had stood since 1993, in the same race by Joceline Wind of Switzerland as she finished sixth for 4:06.55.
Polish double world lead in 60m hurdles
Poland saw a double victory in the 60m hurdles, with Jakub Szymanski and Pia Skrzyszowska both not only taking the win but setting world leads.
Szymanski dominated to take the win in 7.48, ahead of USA’s Eric Edwards who ran 7.53 for a PB and Damian Czykier, also of Poland, who placed third in 7.60.
Although Skrzyszowska actually ran her fastest time, 7.78, in the heats and then 7.80 in the final ahead of USA’s Alaysha Johnson, 7.88, and Lotta Harala in third.
WORLD LEAD!!!!!! 🤯👏
— Owen (@_OwenM_) February 3, 2026
Pia Skrzyszowska 🇵🇱 clocks an extremely fast 7.78 seconds to win her 60m hurdles heat at the Czech Indoor Gala.
🎥 @czatletika #CzechIndoorGala #WorldIndoorTour pic.twitter.com/yr20xkTQkE
Kreete Verlin also equalled the Estonian national record, 8.05, in the heats before going better less than two hours later to secure the outright record with 8.03.
Nader excels in stepping up to the 3000m
The Portuguese 1500m world champion, Isaac Nader, took over 15 seconds off his 3000m PB, set in 2022, but he also set a new meeting and national record of 7:38.05 after fighting off a last-minute kick from Tshepo Tshite.
He looked relaxed and in control the second half of the race, but with just under 100m to go Tshite surged and challenged Nader to the line, and while the South African couldn’t quite get the win he did set a national record of 7:38.17 at his 3000m indoor debut.
Nader’s performance broke the Portuguese national record by over a minute and a half, which stood for 25 years, after also setting the indoor 1500m national record at this meet in 2024.
Dosso wins season debut after heats blunder
The women's 60m was one of the only events of the night that didn’t see a meet or national record, but it still provided the drama to close the night.
Zaynab Dosso, Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships 60m winner, and Amy Hunt, world 200m silver medallist, both made their season debuts and successfully brushed off any cobwebs.
The Italian, Dosso, won the final in 7.09 to go fifth on the world rankings, while Hunt clocked 7.17 in the heats and final to go joint 14th.
Luxembourg’s Patrizia van Der Weken took second with 7.14, while Karolina Manasova of Czechia placed joint third with Hunt timed at 7.17.
But it all nearly crumbled away for Dosso who eased up after, appearing to, mistakenly taking the 50m line markings as the finish and placing second with 7.14 after running the first 50m in a world leading 6.09.
Sutej and Geist take wins on season openers
Jordan Geist also provided a meeting record and world lead in the men’s shot put, with a throw of 22.04m in the second round; in fact, three of his throws in the series would have been world leading throws.
Slovenia’s Tina Sutej took the win in the women’s pole vault but couldn’t quite manage to meet her performance at this meet three years ago where she set her PB and the meeting record of 4.82.
She cleared her opening height of 4.30 with ease, and peaked at 4.70 today on her season opener which puts her joint second in the world rankings currently.
Meanwhile Czechia’s Amalie Svabikova took second with 4.60 in her second competition of the season.
Czech Indoor Gala photos courtesy of Jaroslav Svoboda