At the German U20 Indoor Championships, 18-year-old Johanna Martin delivered a historic performance in the 400m, setting a new European U20 indoor record with a time of 52.22. This achievement surpasses the previous record of 52.37, held by Finland's Ella Räsänen since 2013. Martin’s personal best prior to this was 52.49, achieved during a fourth-place finish at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru. Martin, from Rostock, was also part of the German mixed 4x400m relay team that qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Martin, representing 1. LAV Rostock, had narrowly missed the record in the previous year but showcased her determination and growth by breaking the 45-year-old German U20 indoor best, previously set at 52.4 by Dagmar Rübsam in 1980.
Hailing from Rostock, Martin's ascent in athletics has been marked by significant milestones. In February 2024, at just 17, she clinched the German national indoor championship over 400 metres in Leipzig, winning her heat in 52.55 and the final in 52.71.
Later that year, she was part of the German mixed 4x400m relay team that qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics during the World Relays Championships in Nassau, Bahamas.
Her personal best prior to this record-breaking run was 52.49 seconds, achieved during a fourth-place finish at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru.
Reflecting on her record-setting race in Dortmund, Martin expressed elation: "I just wanted to have a fast time, the fact that I have now achieved the record makes me very, very happy."
In the same championship, Sherin Kimuanga of SC DHfK Leipzig showcased her sprinting prowess by clocking 7.27 in the 60m, defending the title and marking a significant milestone in her burgeoning career. Kimuanga, also 18, has been a standout performer in national competitions, with personal bests of 7.35 over 60m and 11.49 over 100m, both set in 2024. Additionally, in 2024, she secured the German U20 titles in both 100m and 4x100m relay, and won the U20 indoor championship over 60m.
This set the stage for the two to face off on Sunday in the 200m final, in which both athletes set personal bests, Kimuanga winning in 23.53, beating Martin by 0.12.
U20 Athletes Shine with Record-Breaking Performances
Peter Dávid delivered one of the most impressive performances at the Budapest Indoor Meet, setting a new Slovak U20 record in the 60m hurdles with a time of 7.65. The mark is the second-fastest U20 time in the world this season, putting him in elite company among Europe’s top young hurdlers.
Dávid’s win was complemented by other standout performances including Luca Kozák, who claimed the women’s hurdles title in 8.13, and Dominik Illovszky ran an impressive 60m time of 6.65, just 0.02 seconds off his personal best.
Elias Kapell set a new Swedish U20 indoor long jump record with a leap of 7.84m at the Swedish National Combined Events Championships in Stockholm. Kapell also has season’s bests of 6.86 for 60m, 4.54m in the pole vault, 1.89m in the high jump and 2:49.47 in the 1000m.
Adam Šulc delivered a national U20 record at the Czech U20 Indoor Championships in Ostrava, winning the 60m hurdles in 7.67. His time edged out Matyáš Zach (7.69) in a closely contested final, making it one of the fastest U20 hurdles races in Czech history.
Photograph © DLV / Dirk Gantenberg