Belgian team celebrates mixed 4x400m win in Kujawy Pomorze (© World Athletics 
Dan Vernon)
- Belgian quartet runs fastest ever indoor time to win mixed 4x400m title
- Oleh Doroshchuk completes Ukrainian high jump double
- Simon Ehammer on world record pace in the heptathlon
Two more titles were decided on the second morning of competition at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 on Saturday (21).
Belgium ran the fastest ever indoor time to win the inaugural world indoor mixed 4x400m title, while Oleh Doroshchuk got his first global gold to complete a Ukrainian high jump double.
More history could be on the cards as Simon Ehammer excelled in the heptathlon 60m hurdles and pole vault, and is on world record pace with one event to go.
Belgium takes inaugural mixed 4x400m gold
In a race that had as much drama as its outdoor equivalent, the mixed 4x400m title went to the team who did the best job of staying out of trouble. Belgium took the inaugural world indoor title in 3:15.60 – the fastest short track performance for the newest addition to the indoor championship programme.
Jonathan Sacoor gave Belgium an early lead, which proved crucial. The teams just behind him were involved in a collision at the first changeover which resulted in the US and Dutch runners falling over, effectively taking them out of medal contention.
Belgium continued to pull clear with each lap while Spain, Jamaica and Poland chased hard. Helena Ponette anchored Belgium to victory in 3:15.60, crossing the line more than a second ahead of Spain (3:16.96) and Jamaica. The Jamaican team was later disqualified for exchanging positions before a takeover, which meant that host nation Poland was promoted to bronze (3:17.44).
Result: 1 Belgium 3:15.60, 2 Spain 3:16.96, 3 Poland 3:17.44
First global gold for Doroshchuk
Ukraine's Oleh Doroshchuk followed in the footsteps of his compatriot Yaroslava Mahuchikh by taking high jump gold.
The European indoor champion was the only athlete to have a perfect record up to and including 2.30m, which was ultimately sufficient to secure gold.
Defending champion Woo Sanghyeok was unable to get over that height and ended the competition with a best of 2.26m, enough for joint bronze alongside Jamaica's Raymond Richards. Mexico's Erick Portillo was the surprise package of the contest, taking silver with a third-time clearance at 2.30m, earning Mexico's first global medal in a vertical jumps event.
Results: 1 Oleh Doroshchuk (UKR) 2.30m, 2 Erick Portillo (MEX) 2.30m, 3 Raymond Richards (JAM) and Woo Sanghyeok (KOR) 2.26m
Ehammer in position to attack world heptathlon record
Simon Ehammer is on course to not only regain his world heptathlon title, but to surpass the world record.
After a strong first day, the 2024 world indoor champion started the second day in even better form, flying to a world heptathlon best of 7.52 in the 60m hurdles – a time that would have been good enough to take silver in that discipline at last year's World Indoors. US rival Kyle Garland was some way off his best, though, and clocked 8.21.
The gaps widened in the pole vault as Ehammer soared over 5.30m, putting him on schedule to break Ashton Eaton's world heptathlon record of 6645. A 2:43.26 clocking in the 1000m will be sufficient to surpass Eaton's mark.
Garland slipped to a third after clearing 4.80m in the pole vault. Compatriot Heath Baldwin vaulted 5.00m to move into second place overall. A 5.10m vault moved Czechia's Vilem Strasky up to fourth place overall.
In the rounds
Men’s 800m: USA’s rising talent Cooper Lutkenhaus ran the fastest ever men’s 800m semifinal at the World Indoor Championships, winning his race in 1:44.29. At the age of 17 years and 93 days on the day of the final, he will now want to become the youngest individual medallist in World Indoor Championships history. He was followed over the finish line by Mohamed Attaoui in a Spanish short track record of 1:44.48. Eliott Crestan, who tops the entry list, won his semifinal in 1:45.71, while the first semifinal was won by Peter Bol in 1:46.21 ahead of Allon Tatsunami Clay (1:46.47) who become Japan’s first senior world finalist in the 800m.
Women’s 800m: As she did in her heat, world short track record-holder Keely Hodgkinson eased through her semifinal – winning her race in a comfortable 1:58.53 ahead of USA’s Addison Wiley in an indoor PB of 1:58.75. Audrey Werro won her heat in 1:59.27, while Hayley Kitching topped hers in 2:00.06.
Women’s 60m: Joint world leaders Julien Alfred and Zaynab Dosso cruised through the 60m heats, respectively winning their races in 7.06 and 7.07. Brianna Lyston also won her heat in 7.06 ahead of Jacious Sears in 7.07, the latter time clocked by Dina Asher-Smith to win her own heat. Ewa Swoboda delighted home fans by taking her heat in 7.08. Other heat winners were Jonielle Smith (7.13) and Patrizia van der Weken (7.14). Italy’s Kelly Doualla, who at 16 is the youngest athlete competing at the championships, finished third in her heat (7.27) and also advances to the semifinals.
Men’s 60m hurdles: USA’s 2022 world 110m hurdles silver medallist Trey Cunningham went quickest in the first round, winning the final heat in 7.45 ahead of Poland’s Damian Czykier (7.54). They progress to the semifinals along with other heat winners Wilhem Belocian (7.49), home favourite Jakub Szymański (7.50), Dylan Beard (7.50), Demario Prince (7.58) and South Africa’s Franco le Roux, who set an African record of 7.50.
