Freweyni Hailu wins the 3000m in Ostrava (© Sona Maleterova)
World indoor 1500m champion Freweyni Hailu might only have been racing the third 3000m of her career but she achieved one of the fastest performances of all time at the Czech Indoor Gala – this season’s fourth World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting – in Ostrava on Tuesday (4).
On a day that saw many meeting records fall and world leads set, Hailu impressed with a dominant 8:24.17 season opener at the Atleticka hala in the Czech city.
After following the pacemaker through the 1000m mark in 2:52.08 and then clocking 5:45.8 for 2000m, Hailu picked up the pace over the final five laps. Running 2:39 for the last kilometre, she crossed the finish line in 8:24.17 – a time that moves the Ethiopian 23-year-old to eighth on the world all-time list.
Portugal’s Salome Afonso, who had followed Hailu in the early stages, finished second in a PB of 8:39.25. Kenya’s Purity Kajuju Gitonga, whose twin sister Caroline paced the race, was third in a PB of 8:39.36, while Great Britain’s 18-year-old Innes FitzGerald improved the European indoor U20 record by more than 10 seconds with her time of 8:40.05 to finish fourth.
"The pacemaker did a brilliant job tonight. I felt comfortable and it was easy to achieve my goal at this meeting," said Hailu. "With such a good season opener, I hope I will able to complete our national team for the World Indoor Championships."
A world indoor medallist stole the spotlight in the men’s 800m, too. Belgium’s Eliott Crestan stormed under 1:45 for the first time indoors, clocking a national indoor record of 1:44.69 in his first 800m of the year.
That improved on his previous indoor PB of 1:45.08, set when he claimed his world indoor bronze last year in Glasgow, and moved him to 12th on the world all-time list.
Italy’s Catalin Tecuceanu was second in 1:45.35 and Algeria’s Slimane Moula, making his indoor debut over the distance, was third in 1:45.50.
Gabriela Gajanova won the women’s 800m in 2:02.16. World indoor bronze medallist Noelie Yarigo had controlled the race until the final 150m but Gajanova eased ahead as Yarigo faded in the closing stages.
Portugal’s Isaac Nader achieved his second consecutive meeting record in Ostrava, adding a 3:54.17 mile to the 1500m mark he achieved last year. This time he kicked away from Great Britain’s Elliot Giles down the home straight to triumph, Giles finishing second in 3:54.62 in his first indoor race since 2022. Samuel Pihlstrom ran a Swedish indoor record of 3:54.78 in third.
Molnar the master in 400m
A few days on from setting a Hungarian indoor 400m record of 45.66 to win in Belgrade, Attila Molnar improved to 45.08 – a performance just 0.03 off the European indoor record held jointly by Karsten Warholm and Thomas Schonlebe.
Running the fastest time in the world so far this year, Molnar finished well clear of runner-up Matej Krsek (45.85), while Poland’s Maksymilian Szwed won the other men’s 400m in 45.81.
"It was an amazing run and a great meeting," said Molnar. "My stomach hurts a little, so I felt a little bad before the start. That is why I am a bit surprised about the result.
"Last year it was a little bit of a step back emotionally. That is why I could not improve and now everybody thinks that my development tonight is a bit crazy. Honestly, I had it in me last year, but this time I was really prepared."
The women’s 400m was also won in a world-leading time, Dutch world and Olympic 4x400m gold medallist Lieke Klaver becoming the first this season to dip under 51 seconds with 50.92.
USA’s 2018 world indoor bronze medallist Ronnie Baker stormed to a meeting record-breaking 60m victory. Running 6.50, he held off Cuba’s Reynier Mena and Great Britain’s Romell Glave, who ran respective PBs of 6.55 and 6.56. Baker had earlier finished third in his heat in 6.61.
There was a brilliant battle in the women’s 60m final, which saw Luxembourg’s Patrizia van der Weken narrowly pip Poland’s world indoor silver medallist Ewa Swoboda – 7.08 to 7.09. Swoboda had gone quickest in the heats with 7.11.
Sweden's Erik Erlandsson won the men’s 200m in 20.43, equalling his own early world lead.
Furlani flies to meeting record
The men's long jump contest in Ostrava was Mattia Furlani’s last as a teenager and the Italian star made it count as he soared to an equal world lead of 8.23m to match the mark achieved by Thobias Montler in Belgrade last week.
Long jump winner Mattia Furlani in Ostrava (© Sona Maleterova)
At the age of 19, Furlani is already an Olympic and world indoor medallist, those achievements leading to him being named the men’s World Athletics Rising Star last year.
Three days out from his 20th birthday, Furlani flew 8.23m to win by 11cm ahead of Bulgaria’s Bozhidar Saraboyukov. Sweden’s previous meeting record-holder Montler was third on this occasion, with a best of 8.01m in a competition that featured a number of fouls across the board.
There was also a world lead in the men’s shot put, Italy’s Zane Weir throwing 21.39m in the fourth round to respond to the national indoor record of 21.21m achieved by Romania’s Andrei Toader, who finished second.
Slovenia’s 2022 world indoor bronze medallist Tina Sutej won the pole vault with a second-time clearance at 4.70m. Canada’s Olympic bronze medallist Alysha Newman was second with 4.50m.
