In a meeting dominated by the 800m debut of Femke Bol, there was also a magnificent men’s long jump competition, with both Mattia Furlani and Bozhidar Sarâboyukov emerging with a share of the world lead in Metz on Sunday (8).
Bol’s debut international victory over 800m, achieved in a Dutch national record, was the headline-grabbing result of the World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting. But the duel between Furlani and Sarâboyukov in the men’s long jump will also live long in the memory.
World indoor and outdoor champion Furlani looked to have a grip on proceedings as he leapt to a world lead of 8.38m in the second round.
The Italian underscored his excellent form with a third-round leap of 8.33m. But in the fourth round, Bulgaria’s European indoor champion Sarâboyukov sent out a booming warning shot with a jump of 8.37m.
Then came the fifth-round fireworks. First, the rangy Sarâboyukov stretched out to a world lead of 8.39m, followed by a gleeful backflip, which went unmeasured. Incredibly, Furlani then equalled the mark moments later with his very next effort.
It set up a fascinating final round, but neither athlete could produce anything further. As a result, Furlani won the competition by virtue of his next-best leap being 1cm longer, though both athletes could be well satisfied with their day’s work.
Furlani’s leap equalled his personal best, achieved when winning world gold in Tokyo last year, while Sarâboyukov celebrated a new Bulgarian record, improving by 6cm on the previous mark held by former European champion Ivaylo Mladenov since 1995.
Sub-7:30 in the 3000m! Schrub sets national record
There was a rousing men’s 3000m, in which French favourite Yann Schrub was expertly paced to a new French record of 7:29.38. The performance improved Jimmy Gressier’s national record, set a year to the day in New York, by 0.8 seconds. It was also a meeting record and a European lead.
The European gold medallist on the road and in cross country, as well as the European 10,000m silver medallist outdoors, demonstrated his versatility by running with real intent from the gun.
By 2000m, the opposition had melted away as he ran clear to victory. Behind him, Luxembourg’s Ruben Querinjean clocked a national record of 7:40.64 in second, ahead of Ethiopia’s Abdisa Fayisa (7:44.83).
Jaeger and Molnar impress in 400m races
In the women’s 400m, Norway’s European U23 champion Henriette Jæger made a hugely impressive start to her indoor season, winning in 50.62, the second fastest in the world this year behind Great Britain's Amber Anning, who clocked 50.51 in Arizona a day earlier.
She held off the fast-finishing world 400m hurdles bronze medallist Emma Zapletalová, who set a new Slovak national indoor record of 50.78. Czechia’s Lurdes Gloria Manuel was third in a personal best of 51.03.
New European indoor record-holder Attila Molnar set a new meeting record of 45.57 in the men’s 400m, despite a clash with Dutch Olympic 4x400m mixed relay gold medallist Isaya Klein Ikkink.
Molnar’s heels were clipped by Ikkink on the break from the lanes. The Hungarian European indoor champion did well to maintain his balance and kept his composure to push on for victory in a meeting record. It underlined a fine week for the 24-year-old, who clocked a European best of 45.01 in Ostrava on Tuesday (3).
Skrzyszowska beats Kambundji in 60m hurdles
In the women’s 60m hurdles, Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska got the better of Switzerland’s world and European gold medallist Ditaji Kambundji, winning in 7.82.
Skrzyszowska, who had to settle for bronze behind Kambundji at the Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships, where the Swiss athlete won gold in a European record of 7.67, turned the tables with a textbook performance.
She was quicker from the blocks than her rival, who was making her season debut. Despite Kambundji pressing on her outside, the Polish 2022 European 100m hurdles champion held firm for a confidence-boosting victory. Kambundji finished 0.05 adrift in second, while Denmark’s Ida Beiter Bomme took third in a personal best of 7.95.
In the women’s pole vault, world bronze medallist Tina Šutej of Slovenia cleared a meeting record of 4.80m to win ahead of Czechia’s Amálie Švábíková, who recorded a season’s best of 4.75m.
Luxembourg’s world indoor and European indoor bronze medallist Patrizia van der Weken continued her impressive indoor form by winning the women’s 60m in a season’s best 7.08. There was also a brilliant Spanish indoor record of 22.69 by Jael Bestué in the women’s 200m.
European indoor 800m champion Samuel Chapple ran a well-judged race to win the men’s 1500m in 3:35.83, holding off Australia’s Adam Spencer by 0.06. The women’s 3000m was won by Ethiopia’s Birtukan Molla in 8:40.49, while the men’s 800m went to Algeria’s Mohamed Ali Gouaned in 1:44.67.
Photos courtesy of James Rhodes