Olympic shot put gold medallist Yemisi Ogunleye ramped up her preparation for the Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships with a season’s best of 19.78m in front of 7550 fans at the ISTAF Indoor Düsseldorf on Sunday (9).
The German produced her best effort in the second round to get the better of a strong international field ahead of twice European indoor medallist Fanny Roos of Sweden who had a best of 18.82m and Portugal’s Jessica Inchude, 8th at the Paris Olympics, who was third with 18.61m.
There was also a fine victory in the men’s pole vault by Germany’s Torben Blech, who cleared 5.80m at the first attempt to win the competition from twice world champion Sam Kendricks of USA, whose best clearance was 5.70m.
Elsewhere at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting, former Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo won an experimental women’s long jump using a take off zone, her best effort being measured at 6.87m in the fourth round. The men’s 60m was won by 2023 European indoor bronze medallist Henrik Larsson of Sweden in 6.54.
Hurdles drama in Paris
There was a blanket finish in the men’s 60m hurdles at the Meeting de Paris on Sunday (9).
2021 European indoor gold medallist Wilhem Belocian, 2024 World indoor bronze medallist Just Kwaou-Mathey and 2023 European indoor gold medallist Jason Joseph were all timed at 7.52. Swiss sprinter Joseph was judged to be third, but the French duo could not be separated and were awarded joint first place.
Germany’s Simon Batz, sixth in the Paris Olympics, won the men’s long jump with 8.00m. There were home victories by Gémima Joseph in 7.23 and for Laeticia Bapté’s in the women’s 60m hurdles with 7.83 at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting.
European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov was among the enthralled 10,000-strong crowd alongside French Federation President Jean Gracia (see picture).
European mile record for Habz
Despite the late withdrawal of world 1500m champion Josh Kerr, there was still some notable distance running successes for European athletes at the Millrose Games, World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in New York on Saturday (8).
Azeddine Habz finished fourth in a legendary mile won by Yared Nuguse in a world record of 3:46.63, smashing the European record with 3:47.56. He also broke his French 1500m record en route with 3:32.24.
Britain’s Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Georgia Bell won a hard fought women’s Wanamaker Mile, outsprinting USA duo Heather MacLean and Nikki Hiltz to win in 4:23.35.
In a historic men’s 3000m won by USA’s Grant Fisher in a new world record of 7:22.91 from Olympic 1500m gold medallist and international teammate Cole Hocker (7:23.14), France’s Jimmy Gressier placed third in 7:30.18 for a new national record.
Skotheim leaps to gold in Finland
Sander Skotheim, who recently set a new European record in the men’s heptathlon, won gold in the men’s long jump at the Nordic Indoor Championships in Espoo, Finland on Sunday (9), landing another accolade with a leap of 7.83m.
Denmark’s rising distance running prospect Sofia Thøgersen added another international title to her collection by winning the women’s 3000m short track title. The 19-year-old cruised to victory in 8:53:52.
Norway’s Olympic 400m finalist Henriette Jæger maintained her good indoor form, winning the women’s short track 200m in 23.04.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics