Mohamed Attaoui wins in Madrid (© World Athletics 
Sergio Mateo María)
Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui thrilled the home crowd at the Madrid World Indoor Tour Gold meeting on Thursday (6), breaking the European short track 1000m record with 2:14.52. Agate de Sousa’s meeting record of 6.97m in the long jump, meanwhile, was one of three world leads achieved in the Spanish capital.
The men’s 1000m had been billed as an assault on Ayanleh Souleiman’s world short track record of 2:14.20. Attaoui was on course to break that mark for much of the way; though he ultimately missed that mark by just 0.32, the 24-year-old was still rewarded with a European record – breaking Wilson Kipketer’s mark of 2:14.96 from 2000 – and the third-fastest indoor performance in history.
Perfectly paced by Poland’s Filip Ostrowski, Attaoui went through the opening lap in 26.75 and reached 400m in 53.22. The cadence slowed slightly during the next laps as the pacesetter dropped out just before 800m, which was covered in 1:47.58, just 0.03 outside the required record pace.
Over the closing lap, the European silver medallist could not accelerate enough to recover that loss and finished in 2:14.52. Fellow Spaniards Mariano García and Adrián Ben finished some way behind in second and third in 2:16.40 and 2:16.80 respectively.
“I regret announcing the record attempt as I was quite nervous,” said Attaoui. “But I also know that without that I wouldn’t have performed in front of a capacity crowd – they pushed me throughout. I missed the record, but I’m satisfied with my performance and the European record.”
De Sousa was similarly dominant in the women’s long jump. The European bronze medallist from Portugal took an early lead with 6.76m before fouling her next two attempts. She then extended her lead in round four with 6.97m, an indoor PB and world-leading mark.
The World Championships sixth-place finisher didn’t improve in the final two rounds but finished comfortably ahead of Spain’s Irati Mitxelena (6.70m) and Sweden’s Khaddi Sagnia (6.67m).
The other world-leading mark of the meeting came from USA’s Jordan Geist, who equalled his season’s best of 22.04m to win the men’s shot put.
It was a thrilling contest throughout, between Geist, US compatriot Roger Steen and Jamaica’s Olympic bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell. Geist took the lead in the opening round with 21.56m, but Steen responded with 21.80m in round two.
The fireworks came in round four when Campbell produced a season’s best of 21.94m to move into the lead, but Geist regained first place with 22.04m, equalling the world-leading mark he set in Ostrava three days ago.
After two high-quality races in the 60m hurdles heats – won by France’s world indoor silver medallist Wilhem Belocian (7.51) and Spain’s Enrique Llopis (7.49) – the final didn’t disappoint.
Llopis not only emerged victorious – much to the delight of the home crowd – he also set a national record by three hundredths with 7.45, the second-fastest performance on this season’s world list. Llopis, who will be chasing his first medal at a global championships next month at the World Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26, prevailed over Italy’s European champion Lorenzo Simonelli (7.50), USA’s Jamal Britt (7.51) and Belocian (7.54).
Haylom and Werro win again
Just days after notching up victories in other World Indoor Tour meets, Ethiopia’s Birke Haylom and Switzerland’s Audrey Werro triumphed again in the middle-distance events.
In the women’s 1500m, Haylom tracked the pacemakers for most of the way. She was briefly overtaken by world and Olympic medallist Nadia Battocletti with about 320m to go, but Haylom regained the lead and went on to win comfortably in 4:02.37. Battocletti held on for second, equalling Marta Zenoni’s Italian record of 4:03.59, while Ethiopia’s Saron Berhe was third (4:04.39).
The women’s 800m may not have been as fast as anticipated, but it ended with a close finish between Werro and world indoor silver medallist Nigist Getachew. Neither athlete followed the pacemaker, reaching halfway just inside 59 seconds with Getachew ahead. Werro eventually passed the Ethiopian on the home straight to win narrowly, 2:00.68 to 2:00.76.
Spain’s European U23 silver medallist Rocío Arroyo was the fastest athlete overall, winning the earlier B race in a lifetime best of 1:59.97.
The men’s 3000m was won by South Africa’s Tshepo Tshite on his second appearance over the distance in 7:39.11, ahead of Uruguay’s Valentin Soca (7:39.98), who edged Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale (7:39.98) in the closing stages.
European indoor champion Lieke Klaver had suggested at the pre-event press conference that she could produce a strong performance following her 51.00 season debut three days earlier in Ostrava. The 27-year-old Dutch athlete went out aggressively, passing halfway in 23.25. She slowed significantly in the second half but still won comfortably in 51.26, while Spain’s Blanca Hervás finished second in 51.59.
Elsewhere, France’s Laeticia Bapte won the women’s 60m hurdles by the narrowest of margins over USA’s Alaysha Johnson, both timed at 7.90. USA’s Charity Hufnagel then won the women’s high jump with a second-attempt clearance at 1.96m, a career best, ahead of Poland’s Maria Zodzik (1.94m). In the men’s 60m, Oman’s Ali Anwar Al-Balushi won in 6.53 ahead of Cuba’s Jenns Fernandez (6.56).
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
