European 800m silver medallist Mohamed Attaoui opened his season with an indoor 1500m lifetime best of 3:35.65 for victory at the Antequera Indoor Match, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Challenger meeting, on Saturday (17).
Attaoui won ahead of Uruguay’s Valentin Soca who clocked 3:36.34 just six days after finishing fourth in an incredibly deep and competitive 10K Valencia Ibercaja in 27:21. Fellow Spaniard Martin Segurola finished third in 3:37.35.
European U20 800m bronze medallist Lorenza de Noni from Italy won the 800m in 2:03.93 just ahead of fellow European U20 finalist Shaikira King, 17, from Great Britain in 2:04.14.
Svabikova clears 4.65m in Prague
World outdoor fourth-placer Amalie Svabikova began her season in excellent form, clearing her best ever season's opener of 4.65m for victory on home soil at the Česká tyčka pole vault meeting, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Challenger meeting, in Prague on Saturday.
Filip Bartonek won the men's competition with a 5.55m clearance to win ahead of Hungary's Marton Bondor and Germany's Fabio Wunsche, both of whom cleared 5.40m.
At the Klaverblad Polsstokgala in Zoetermeer in the Netherlands a World Athletics Indoor Tour Challenger meeting, on Saturday (7), European indoor champion Menno Vloon cleared 5.67m for victory in the pole vault-only meeting.
However, most of the plaudits went to 19-year-old Marijn Kieft. The European U20 silver medallist cleared an outright Dutch record of 4.60m for victory in the women's competition.
Poland’s Mateusz Kolodziejski won the Hirson High Jump Meeting, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Challenger meeting, with a 2.25m clearance while world finalist Fatoumata Balley won the women’s competition with 1.92m, a national record for Guinea.
Ehammer in good early season form
Switzerland's Simon Ehammer has already signalled his intentions to target the heptathlon at the World Athletics Indoor Championships and the Swiss was in good form in his specialist events in Sindelfingen, Germany on Saturday. He won the long jump with 7.87m and the 60m hurdles in 7.72.
One day later, Ehammer was in action on home soil in St. Gallen on Sunday (18). He clocked 6.87 in the 60m and threw 14.29m in the shot put.
In Wroclaw on Saturday, 2017 European indoor champion Konrad Bukowiecki opened his season with 20.61m in the shot put while European U20 decathlon champion Hubert Troscianka achieved indoor lifetime bests of 13.93m in the shot put and 7.25m in the long jump.
European U20 100m champion Ander Garaiar won the 60m in San Sebastian on Saturday in 6.73.
