Great Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell kicked to a decisive victory on her season’s debut at the INIT Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting, on Sunday (8) evening.
The 2024 European silver medallist unleashed a devastating last lap of 28.82 to win the women’s 1500m in a world lead of 4:00.04 ahead of Ethiopia’s Birke Haylom, who was unbeaten in her three indoor races in 2026 and also held the world lead prior to tonight, in 4:00.88.
"I wanted to get the world lead, I wanted to try and go sub four and win - so two out of three, I won and got the world lead. I've got the British Championships next week, after that I'll be in a fast race in Lievin. I'm hoping to do well at the World Indoor Championships in Poland," said Hunter Bell who won bronze in the 1500m at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships.
Reigning European indoor champion Agathe Guillemot set her second French indoor record this season, finishing third in 4:02.12 to slash more than two seconds off her previous record.
Guillemot’s teammate Azeddine Habz closed the programme with victory in the men’s 1500m in 3:33.36 ahead of Pietro Riva who was rewarded with an Italian indoor record of 3:33.94 with Belgium’s Jochem Vermeulen third in a 3:35.48 PB.
Stefan Nillessen won the 3000m on this track for the second successive year. The Dutchman found himself boxed at the bell but the tall-striding Olympic 1500m finalist had pace to burn as he swung wide off the top bend and struck for victory in 7:38.48 ahead of Kenya’s Jacob Krop (7:38.64).
I'm really happy. It's my first race of the season, so I didn't really know what to expect. It wasn't exactly part of the original plan how everything would come together, but things are going really well, so I'm happy with where I am right now. It feels great,” said Nillessen.
2.01m for Mahuchikh in the high jump
World record-holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh produced her second 2.00m-plus jump of the season, clearing 2.01m for victory in the high jump ahead of her Ukrainian compatriot Yuliya Levchenko with 1.96m.
Mahuchikh raised the bar to a prospective world lead of 2.04m and took three respectable attempts at a height which she hasn’t cleared since she broke the world record with 2.10m in July 2024.
“I am happy I jumped over two metres again, but of course I wanted to clear 2.04m. It was so close, especially the third attempt. But I am happy to come back to international level and start my season in Europe. I know I'm in really good shape, so I'm ready to fight at the World Indoor Championships in Poland,” said Mahuchikh.
Mahuchikh won her first of three European indoor high jump titles in the same arena in Torun back in 2021 and she will be looking to regain the world indoor title which she won back in 2022 next month.
Larissa Iapichino also continued her excellent start to the indoor campaign with victory in the women’s long jump with 6.84m ahead of France’s Hilary Kpatcha (6.73m) and Serbia’s Milica Gardasevic (6.46m) with European champion Malaika Mihambo having to settle for fourth on home soil with 6.44m.
Other highlights from a European standpoint included Germany’s Alexander Stepanov kicking to a surprise victory in the 800m in 1:46.17 and 2023 European indoor champion Sondre Guttormsen from Norway clearing a season’s best of 5.84m in the pole vault.