Germany’s Malaika Mihambo was in vintage early season form at the Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting, on Friday (7) evening.
After a tentative start which includes two fouls, the reigning European outdoor champion and Olympic silver medallist sailed out to a world lead of 7.07m - the first seven metre-plus jump of the indoor season - in the fourth round which equals her best ever jump indoors.
Mihambo, who elected to forego her last two jumps, led a German 1-2 with Mikaelle Assani improving to 6.79m in the fifth round. Bulgaria’s former world U20 champion Plamena Mitkova took fifth with 6.69m, her only valid jump of her series.
In her first competition of 2025, reigning world indoor champion Molly Caudery cleared 4.75m on her third attempt to prise the victory away from Slovenian veteran Tina Sutej.
Sutej had taken the initiative with a first-time clearance at 4.70m but Caudery, who cleared 4.65m on her first attempt before passing at 4.70m, showed her resolve by clearing the decisive height of 4.75m on her final attempt.
Having taken the victory, Caudery elected not to vault on. Her next competition will be Lievin on Thursday evening.
Dutch indoor record for Nillessen with Apeldoorn approaching
Reigning European U23 1500m champion Stefan Nillessen stepped up in distance to the 3000m and the Dutchman uncorked a last lap of 27.65 to take the victory in a national indoor record of 7:37.10 on the road to the Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
Nillessen led a Dutch 1-3 with Mike Foppen finishing third in a lifetime best of 7:38.20 while Narve Gilje Nordas relieved Jakob Ingebrigtsen of the Norwegian indoor record with 7:39.05 in fifth.
The theme of Italian records continues into 2025 with Alice Mangione clocking the fastest time across the two women’s 400m heats with 51.75. She becomes the first ever Italian to break the 52 second-barrier indoors with the previous national record standing at 52.17 since 1996.
Other highlights included Sweden’s Samuel Pihlstrom winning the 1500m in 3:35.62; France’s Wilhem Belocian winning the 60m hurdles in 7.53; and Luxembourg’s Patrizia Van Der Weken extending her unbeaten streak in the 60m with victory in 7.13 ahead of France’s Gemima Joseph who set a PB of 7.15.
Steven Mills for European Athletics