Molly Caudery produced a soaring clearance at 4.85m – with probably 15 centimetres to spare – to add 10cm to her own European-leading pole vault mark at the Madrid World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting on Friday (28).
The Briton was flawless up to her final height and had the competition comfortably won after having been the only jumper to go over 4.75m with Slovenia’s two-time European indoor silver medallist Tina Sutej unable to go any higher than 4.70m and having to settle for second place.
At the third time of asking, she produced a superb effort with plenty of daylight to spare to confirm that she will go to the Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships as the clear favourite.
However, after clearing 4.85m, the reigning world indoor champion decided to call it a day.
“I wish I could have carried on as I was having so much fun, but I am carrying a very small injury, it’s a small hamstring and calf thing, and I’ve got the Europeans and the worlds coming up so I’m trying to keep a lid on things,” commented Caudery.
“But I’m really happy with today. Last year, (indoors) I was jumping 4.80s almost ever competition and that’s the first time I’ve done it this year, it’s the first competition when I’ve been back on form,” she added.
Queen Molly 👑
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) February 28, 2025
The reigning world indoor champ clears 4.85m to win the women's pole vault at the @AthleticsTourES 🤩
She also clinches the #WorldIndoorTour title ahead of 🇸🇮's Tina Stuej 👏 pic.twitter.com/8YWtEb581S
A few minutes after Caudery had decided to call it a day, Luxembourg sprinter Patriza van der Weken went to her blocks in the 60m and dominated her race from gun to the finish line before clocking 7.09, just 0.02 away from her national record set last month.
Behind van der Weken, Great Britain’s Bianca Williams and Portugal’s Lorene Bazolo finished second and third in 7.16 and 7.17, both personal bests.
The victory will be a big confidence boost as she seeks to become the Duchy’s first female medallist in the history of the European Athletics Indoor Championships, indeed at any major global or continental event.
Like Caudery, the win also earned van der Weken enough points to be crowned champion of her event on this winters World Athletics Indoor Tour and a cheque for $10,000.
7.09 🌪️
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) February 28, 2025
🇱🇺's Patrizia Van der Weken ends her world indoor tour with a bang at the @AthleticsTourES💥
Win in Madrid ✅
60m #WorldIndoorTour title ✅ pic.twitter.com/xrg7bVbPOw
Roma 2024 110m hurdles silver medallist Enrique Llopis has been working on his start this winter and it showed in both his 60m hurdles races on Friday, equalling his 2023 national record of 7.48 in both his heat and the final.
Recovering from a more sluggish start, France’s Wilhelm Belocian matched Llopis almost stride-for-stride for much of the race before finishing second in 7.49, just shy of his season’s best of 7.46 in Lievin two weeks ago.
Llopis one of only two Spanish winners on home soil at the country’s top indoor meeting and the climax of the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Tour.
NATIONAL RECORD 🇪🇸
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) February 28, 2025
Enrique Llopis storms to 7.48 in the men's 60m hurdles, equalling the Spanish national record in front of his home crowd 😤#WorldIndoorTour pic.twitter.com/ntvQOy6et2
The other was reigning European indoor 800m champion Adrian Ben who showed that he has put behind him last summer’s big championship disappointments of 2024, when he could only finish sixth at the European Athletics Championships and crashed out of the repechage round at the Olympic Games, with a win over four laps of the Gallur sports centre in a personal best of 1:45.39.
“I’ve got to be very pleased with that race as it has been a long road and a lot of hard work to get back to this level but I’m very happy to show I’m back,” said the delighted Ben, who has otherwise been racing over 1500m this winter and will not be going to Apeldoorn to defend his title.
Another happy man at the conclusion of the race was Great Britain’s Callum Dodds, who sliced more than a second from his indoor best when finishing third in 1:45.86.
Strong finish from Ben 💨
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) February 28, 2025
🇪🇸's Adrian Ben powers to victory in the men's 800m, clocking 1:45.39 in front of a home crowd 👏
Livestream 👉 https://t.co/jB9r2h6AAE#WorldIndoorTour pic.twitter.com/vXbG8XEEmO
Anita Horvat emulated Ben just a few minutes later in the women’s 800m when the Slovenian won her race in a personal best of 2:00.35, the second fastest time this year by someone who will be on the start line for Apeldoorn and only 0.01 behind Switzerland’s Audrey Werro.
Having taken the silver medal in Istanbul two years ago, Horvat’s flying sprint finish – which took her from third to first in over the last 70 metres in Madrid – and the fact that she is still the Slovenian 400m record holder with 51.22, makes her at least a medal contender next week.
“But I’m going there thinking about gold, after silver two years ago, and I knew tonight would be a fast race thanks to having two good African runners in it. I was hoping to go under two minutes but it didn’t quite happen,” reflected Horvat.
“I hope to go under two minutes in Apeldoorn but the most important thing is getting the gold,” she added.
Great Britain’s Apeldoorn-bound Grace Vans Agnew produced similar battling sprint finish over the final 50 metres of the women’s 800m B-race to win in an indoor best of 2:02.20.
Full results here.
Phil Minshull for European Athletics