World indoor pole vault champion Molly Caudery cleared 4.83m on the first day of the British Championships in Manchester on Saturday (29) afternoon.
After first-time clearances at 4.41m, 4.61m and 4.73m, Caudery needed three attempts at 4.83m before taking one particularly close attempt at a prospective British record and world lead of 4.93m.
“I am very happy with the position I am in right now and I think if there’d been no wind I’d have nailed that last jump.
“I have had to force myself to review my expectations – coming into the season it was definitely about reaching Paris, now it is to medal,” said Caudery who holds the world lead with 4.92m with the Olympic Games just over one month away.
At the Greek Championships in Volos, European silver medallist Emmanouil Karalis raised his Greek pole vault record to 5.93m before attempting 6.00m.
In a deep men’s hammer, Hrístos Frantzeskakis won with 76.86m over Mihail Anastasakis (75.13m) and Konstantinos Zaltos (74.06m) and 2022 European champion Elina Tzengko won the javelin with 61.71m.
Fast women's 800m final highlights Swiss Championships
No fewer than four athletes went under the Olympic qualifying time in the 800m final at the Swiss Championships in Winterthur on Saturday (29).
Rachel Pellaud won the title in just her second full year in the event in a lifetime best of 1:58.60 ahead of two-time European U20 champion Audrey Werro (1:58.67) and Valentina Rosamilla (1:58.69). Multiple European finalist Lore Hoffmann could only finish fourth despite running a season’s best of 1:59.26.
Two-time European 200m champion Mujinga Kambundji completed the sprint double with victory in the 200m in a season’s best of 22.42 ahead of Leonie Pointet (22.72) while William Reais won a close men’s 200m final in 20.27 ahead of Felix Svensson (20.30) to also seal the sprint double.
After winning the long jump title on Friday, Annik Kalin won the 100m hurdles title in the absence of Ditaji Kambundji in a lifetime best of 12.97. European indoor champion Jason Joseph also won the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.26 (13.25 in the heat) ahead of Simon Ehammer who improved to 13.38.
Lionel Spitz won the men’s 400m title in 45.01 - just 0.02 shy of the Swiss record - and former European U20 champion Yasmin Giger won the 400m hurdles in a lifetime best and Olympic qualifying time of 54.77.
Elsewhere around Europe…
European champion Lorenzo Simonelli won the 110m hurdles title at the Italian Championships with 13.18 against a strong headwind of 1.3 m/s.
Matteo Melluzzo won the men’s 100m title in 10.12 in the absence of Marcell Jacobs and Chituru Ali while European bronze medallist Zaynab Dosso took an expected victory in the women’s 100m in 11.20.
Double European champion Nadia Battocletti won the women's 5000m in 15:24.69 and European 1500m bronze medallist Pietro Arese stepped up in distance to win the men's 5000m in 13:35.97.
On the second day of the French Championships in Angers, Gemima Joseph won a high quality 100m in a lifetime best of 11.01 ahead of Chloe Galet (11.14) and Orlann Orliere (11.15).
Nicolas-Marie Daru, 35, was the surprise winner of the men's 3000m steeplechase title in 8:24.37 ahead of Louis Gilavert (8:24.39) and European champion Alexis Miellet (8:24.91) while fellow European champion Alice Finot won the women's 3000m steeplechase in 9:29.78 ahead of Flavie Renouard (9:33.73).
On the second day of the Dutch Championships in Hengelo, Jorinde Van Klinken won the discus title with 64.17m ahead of double European U23 champion Alida Van Daalen with 63.54m. Femke Bol qualified fastest for the 200m final with 23.14.
Recently crowned European discus champion Kristjan Ceh won the Slovenian Championships in Celje with 67.88m. Only 17, Tom Tersek won the javelin title with a lifetime best and world U20 lead of 80.87m.
At the Austrian Championships in Linz, fellow European champion Victoria Hudson won the javelin title with 63.10m.
The javelin also provided the highlight of the second day of the Lithuanian Championships in Palanga. Edis Matusevicius won the men’s javelin with 85.18m.
At the Latvian Championships in Valmiera, Gunta Vaicule won the 400m in a lifetime best of 50.83, just missing the long-standing national record of 50.71 which dates back to 1988.
Steven Mills for European Athletics