Adrianna Sułek-Schubert at the Wiesław Czapiewski Memorial (© Organisers)
Adrianna Sułek-Schubert improved her own Wiesław Czapiewski Memorial record to 6449 to win her fourth heptathlon title at the World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold meeting in Nakło nad Notecią on Saturday and Sunday (11-12).
The decathlon was closer, Puerto Rico’s Yariel Soto setting a PB of 8124 to take the title ahead of Lithuania’s Edgaras Benkunskas (8080).
In the heptathlon, Sułek-Schubert displayed some of her best form since returning to competition after giving birth in 2024.
The Polish record-holder – who was formerly coached by the late Wiesław Czapiewski – got off to a strong start with a 13.09 clocking in the 100m hurdles, just 0.01 shy of the PB she set four years ago. Sweden’s Lovisa Karlsson was fastest overall, though, setting a PB of 13.03 – the fastest time by a Swedish athlete since 2016 and taking 0.35 off Sułek-Schubert’s meeting record.
The home favourite moved into the lead after the high jump, thanks to her 1.80m clearance. Karlsson’s Swedish teammate Erika Wärff impressed in the shot put, topping the field with 14.31m. Austrian duo Verena Mayr (14.24m) and Sarah Lagger (14.15m) also threw beyond 14 metres, as did Switzerland’s Lucia Acklin (14.16m). Sułek-Schubert, meanwhile, managed 13.69m which was enough to maintain the overall lead.
Another meeting record fell in the 200m, this time to Czechia’s Adéla Tkáčová. The 21-year-old sped to an impressive 23.27 – just 0.05 shy of the PB she set last month – to smash the meeting record by 0.73. Three other women – Vilma Itälinna (23.63), Sułek-Schubert (23.84) and Acklin (23.90) – were inside the previous meeting record.
Sułek-Schubert ended the first day with a tally of 3858, putting her 203 points ahead of Karlsson, with Wärff a further 18 points in arrears.
Karlsson started strongest on day two, soaring 6.45m in the long jump for another meeting record and a mark just 10 centimetres off her PB. Sułek-Schubert managed a wind-aided 6.21m (4.4m/s) to retain the lead by 127 points.
They both achieved PBs in the javelin, Sułek-Schubert launching the implement 43.49m to improve on her previous best of 42.86m set as part of her European silver medal-winning performance in 2022 and Karlsson throwing 41.88m. Wärff threw farthest, managing 47.74m from her final attempt to sit just 34 points behind Karlsson with one event to go. Sułek-Schubert looked clear at the top, on 5507.
Chasing her compatriot Edyta Bielska who clocked 2:08.55, Sułek-Schubert ran 2:11.58 to finish second in the 800m and successfully defend her heptathlon title, taking her tally to a meeting record of 6449 – her highest score since her maternity break and the fourth-best score of her career.
Karlsson ran 2:16.67 and Wärff set a PB of 2:19.86 to hold on to second and third place, respectively. Karlsson improved her PB to 6218, while Wärff scored 6140. Lagger moved up through the field to finish fourth on 5986 and Itälinna was fifth with a PB of 5915.
By contrast, the decathlon was close throughout.
Switzerland’s Nino Portmann, the World University Games bronze medallist, sped to a 10.70 clocking to win the 100m. Puerto Rico’s Yariel Soto moved into the lead after soaring to a meeting record of 7.80m in the long jump. Switzerland’s Finley Gaio, the former meeting record-holder in that discipline, also performed well, leaping a wind-assisted 7.65m while Portmann jumped 7.55m, also marginally wind assisted.
Lithuania’s Edgaras Benkunskas climbed up the leader board after throwing a meeting record of 15.66m in the shot put. Soto’s 13.45m meant he dropped down slightly, while Portmann threw a PB of 14.81m to remain in contention.
Adam Havlíček was the last man standing in the high jump, clearing 2.03m. The Czech athlete had earlier set PBs of 11.07 in the 100m and 7.34m in the long jump. Benkunskas (2.00m), Portmann (1.94m, a PB) and Soto (1.91m) were all in the top half of the field in the high jump.
Gaio’s 48.32 run in the 400m meant that five different athletes topped the five different disciplines on day one. Soto (48.69) and Portmann (48.72) also completed the lap within 49 seconds.
Portmann led at the end of the first day with 4278, 84 points ahead of Soto. Gaio, Vilém Stráský, Havlíček and Benkunskas were all close behind.
Gaio and Portmann led the 110m hurdles at the start of the second day, respectively clocking 14.00 and 14.25. Soto ran a wind-aided 14.90, moving him down a place behind Portmann and Gaio after six events. Stráský continued his consistency with 14.31 to put him just one point ahead of Benkunskas, who clocked the same time. Havlíček did not finish the race.
Benkunskas moved up into third after the best discus throw of the day, 48.59m. Portmann held on to the lead with 43.61m but Gaio's PB of 44.45m moved him closer to his rival, while Soto threw 45.08m and Stráský a PB of 45.77m to complete the top five at that stage.
Soto's 4.80m in the pole vault made the difference as it launched him from fourth to first on 6673, 26 points ahead of Benkunskas who managed 4.60m. Maxime Moitie-Charnois of France had the best clearance – 5.00m.
Benkunskas fought back with the leading mark in the javelin – 65.12m to Soto's 55.04m to put him 125 points ahead with just the 1500m remaining, but with Soto the stronger runner. The 1500m went to the form book and so Soto secured the overall title in style, winning the final event in a PB of 4:23.61 as Benkunskas clocked 4:50.04. Stráský ran 4:24.31 to cross the line runner-up to Soto and clinch third place overall (8056) ahead of Portmann (7947) and Moitie-Charnois (7843).
Soto's winning score of 8124 added 92 points to his previous PB set in Arona last month – his score then of 8032 seeing him surpass 8000 points for the first time.
