Romell Glave upset the script by defeating not just world and European indoor 60m champion Jeremiah Azu but also world and Olympic 100m silver medallist Kishane Thompson over 60m at the BAUHAUS-Galan Indoor, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting, in Stockholm on Thursday (22).
After a faulty start, Glave, who was the fastest qualifier for the final in a lifetime best of 6.55, powered through the centre of the echelon for a significant early season victory. He stopped the clock at another lifetime best of 6.51, holding off the fast-finishing Azu who closed quickly on his outside for the runner-up spot in 6.54.
Thompson, who was arguably the fastest out of the blocks, had to settle for third in 6.56 in what was just the second indoor race of his career so far.
Glave confirmed in his post-race in-stadium interview that he is targeting the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Kujawy-Pomorze (Torun) from 20-22 March before his attention will undoubtedly shift to a summer season culminating with the European Athletics Championships on home soil in Birmingham from 10-16 August.
Glave won bronze in the 100m at the last edition of the European Athletics Championships in Rome.
In contrast to the men's 60m, there was a Jamaican clean sweep in the women's 60m with Jonielle Smith winning in 7.12 ahead of twins Tina and Tia Clayton, both of whom were timed at 7.14 while Danniel Thomas-Dodd won the women's shot put with 19.00m ahead of Swedish favourite Fanny Roos with 18.46m.
3:34.32 for Moe Berg in the 1500m
Double European U20 champion Hakon Moe Berg made a mightily impressive debut in his first race in the senior ranks.
Moe Berg, who swept the 1500/3000m titles at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere last August, tracked the pacemaker in the 1500m with real intent before keeping the pressure on after the pacemaker moved aside with three laps to go.
The 19-year-old Norwegian cut loose from a strong international field and powered to an unopposed victory on his season’s debut in 3:34.32, an indoor lifetime best and early season world lead. He won by more than five seconds ahead of Ethiopia’s Mosisa Seyoum in 3:39.54 and France’s Arthur Gervais in 3:39.67 with Andreas Kramer fourth in an indoor lifetime of 3:39.92.
The victory will provide more than scant consolation for his performance at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa last month when Moe Berg suddenly stepped off the course in the last lap of the U20 race despite being in medal contention.
From an international standpoint, another highlight was Birke Haylom’s solo victory in the women’s 1500m. The Ethiopian won by over nine seconds in 4:02.79, another world lead at this early part of the indoor season.
Home wins for Hallberg Hossain and Bengström
2022 European U18 champion Ayla Hallberg Hossain provided one of a handful of Swedish victories, winning the long jump with 6.56m - only two centimetres shy of her lifetime best set last year - ahead of world finalist Esraa Owis from Egypt with 6.49m.
European 400m hurdles bronze medallist Carl Bengström also won the 400m flat in 46.45 ahead of Nigeria’s Chidi Okezie in 46.93.
Other highlights included Finland’s Mette Baas winning the women’s 400m in 52.57 - the only athlete to break the 53 second-barrier across the three races - and Hungary’s Hanga Klekner winning the pole vault with a 4.52m clearance.
Live athletics on the European Athletics channels continues tomorrow evening with the Meeting de Nantes Metropole which will be streamed live on the European Athletics YouTube channel from 7.00pm CET.