Two-time champion Nadine Visser launcher her build up to the Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships with victory in the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Belgrade on Wednesday (29).
The Dutch athlete, who will be eager to regain the women’s 60m hurdles title she won in 2019 and 2021 in front of her home crowd in March, got her season underway with a fine victory in 7.86.
It was the second fastest time in the world this year and also a confidence-boosting win over Polish rival Pia Skrzyszowska, bronze medallist in last year’s World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, who was second in 7.91.
National records for Bouju and Molnár
Elsewhere, her international colleague Raphael Bouju set a Dutch record in the men’s 60m.
The 22-year-old, who won 100m and 200m silver at the Espoo 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships, finished second to USA’s Ronnie Baker in 6.56, clipping 0.02 off Joris van Gool’s record.
There was another national record in the men’s 400m for Attila Molnár. The Hungarian, fifth in last year’s World Indoor Championships, clocked a searing 45.66, which was also the second fastest time in the world this year.
There was another jet-heeled display from Zaynab Dosso who clocked 7.08 to win the women’s 60m in her season opener. The Italian won bronze at last year’s World Athletics Indoor Championships and again over 100m at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships and is a strong contender for more precious metal at Apeldoorn 2025.
European silver medallist Angelina Topić opened her season in great style, the Serbian clearing 1.92m to win the women’s high jump.
Sweden’s Thobias Montler, silver medallist at the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships, enjoyed a return to form, winning the men’s long jump with 8.23m. It gave him a rare victory over Olympic, world and European champion Miltiadis Tentoglou. The Greek superstar's best effort of 8.05m left him in fourth.
Honsel wins in Cottbus
At the Springer Meeting in Cottbus, Germany, Christina Honsel gave the home crowd plenty to shout about, winning the women's high jump with a best clearance of 1.95m at the World Athletics Indoor Tour bronze meeting that was streamed on the European Athletics website.
She took three attempts to clear both 1.88m and 1.91m before her winning clearance. She is the first German to win at the meeting, in it's 21st staging.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics