Olympic bronze medallist Mattia Furlani leapt out to a world lead of 8.37m to win the men’s long jump at the ORLEN Copernicus Cup in Torun on Sunday (16).
With three weeks until the Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships, the Italian grabbed a timely first ever victory over Olympic, world and European champion Miltiadis Tentoglou.
Furlani, who turned 20 nine days earlier, saved his best effort for last at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting with a monstrous jump that is just 1cm less that his lifetime best, achieved when he won silver at last year’s Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships.
Tentoglou, such a dominant figure in the event in recent years, was forced to settle for second with 8.03m, a mark equalled by Sweden’s Thobias Montler.
Jaeger runs to Norwegian record
There was another brilliant breakthrough for Norwegian 400m runner Henriette Jaeger. The Olympic finalist took charge at the bell and maintained her form right through to the finish, winning in a meeting record of 50.44. It was also a new national record for the European U23 silver medallist.
The women’s 60m was dominated by European athletes and it took the second fastest time in the world this year for Italy’s Zaynab Dosso to take the win. She clocked 7.05 to see off 2022 world indoor champion Mujinga Kambundji, who was second in 7.07, crowd favourite Ewa Swoboda of Poland was third in 7.05.
In the women’s 60m hurdles, Jamaica’s world leader Ackera Nugent edged out Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji by just 0.01, but the Swiss athlete had the consolation of a new personal best of 7.80. Twice European indoor champion Nadine Visser was third in 7.82.
Giles times it right in 1500m
Britain’s Elliot Giles banked an impressive victory in the men’s 1500m. Fresh from setting a new world U20 record in Lieven on Thursday (13), Ethiopian Biniam Mehary looked set for the win. But Giles tracked his every step and struck on the final turn, bursting clear to win in 3:35.43. Mehary was just 0.27 behind, with Sweden’s Samuel Pihlstrom third in 3:36.06.
In the men’s shot, European champion Leonardo Fabbri followed up victory in Lieven with another impressive performance, winning with 21.62m. Italian teammate Zane Weir was second with 21.13m.
In the women’s competition, twice European champion Jessica Schilder was second with 20.01m, just 23cm shy of the winning throw by two-time world champion Chase Jackson of USA.
European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov was part of the Opening Ceremony of the meeting alongside Mayor of Torun Pawel Gulewski and the Marshall of Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Piotr Calbecki.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics