German distance runner Konstanze Klosterhalfen (© Getty Images)
Konstanze Klosterhalfen improved her outright 1500m lifetime best by exactly two seconds with a solo display on the second day of the German Indoor Championships in Leipzig on Sunday (19).
Klosterhalfen, who celebrated her 20th birthday yesterday, continues to make what appears an effortless transition into the senior ranks. Her winning time of 4:04.91 moves her up to second on the German indoor all-time list, surpassed only by Brigitte Kraus’ long-standing national record of 4:03.64 – a mark that Klosterhalfen could soon break.
The manner of Klosterhalfen’s run was made all the more impressive given the absence of competition, not to mention pacemakers. The world U20 bronze medallist, who passed through 400m in 63.85 and 800m in 2:10.91, won by more than 20 seconds.
Alina Reh, 19, produced another of the second day highlights, winning the 3000m title in an absolute lifetime best of 8:53.56 ahead of European 3000m steeplechase champion and world bronze medallist Gesa-Felicitas Krause in 8:56.13.
After finishing second in a high quality 60m final yesterday evening, Rebekka Haase was in excellent form again over 200m. Having clocked 22.98 in the heats, Haase blasted to victory in the final in an outright lifetime best of 22.77, the fastest time by a German on the boards since 1998.
Heptathlete Claudia Salman-Rath had the beating of the long jump specialists again. Salman-Rath recorded the five best jumps of the competition, improving to 6.72m in the last round to defeat Alexandra Wester’s 6.48m.
Raphael Holzdeppe, the 2013 world pole vault champion, notched up another domestic indoor title with a 5.68m clearance while European triple jump champion Max Hess went out to 16.71m to claim the win.
Martinot-Lagarde back in shape at French Indoor Championships
European indoor champion Pascal Martinot-Lagarde was a late withdrawal from the IAAF World Indoor Tour meeting in Torun last Friday due to illness but he was back in form in Bordeaux, approaching his season’s best on the second day of the French Indoor Championships.
Martinot-Lagarde stopped the clock at 7.52 but he was pushed all the way by Aurel Manga – who missed out to Martinot-Lagarde for the third spot on the French Olympic team last summer – in second in a lifetime best of 7.53, having already clocked 7.54 in the heats.
Ladji Doucoure, the 2005 world 110m hurdles champion, clocked 8.10 in the heats in his last race before retirement.
Jean-Marc Pontvianne produced one of the breakthrough performances of the weekend, improving his lifetime best from 16.81m to a Europeal-leading 17.13m in the last round of the triple jump. In doing so, the 22-year-old moves to second on this year's world list with the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade less than a fortnight away.
With Renaud Lavillenie missing the remainder of the indoor season due to injury, Kevin Menaldo took the honours in the pole vault with a first-time clearance at 5.78m while three-time European 50km race walk champion Yohann Diniz stepped down to one-tenth of the distance, winning the 5000m race walk in 19:14.41.
Lisek clears 5.83m at the Polish Indoor Championships
With 2011 world champion Pawel Wojciechowski surprisingly eliminated at 5.50m, world leader Piotr Lisek had a comfortable path to victory on the second day of the Polish Indoor Championships in Torun on Sunday.
After winning the competition with a 5.50m clearance, Lisek went on to clear 5.78m and 5.83m on his first attempts before three unsuccessful attempts at 5.90m.
Konrad Bukowiecki will be another of his country’s medal hopes in Belgrade in March, winning a good quality event with 20.61m from Michal Haratyk (20.30m) and Rafal Kownatke (20.11m).
A day after setting a lifetime best of 8:45.29 in Birmingham on Saturday, Sofia Ennaoui made a quick turnaround to win the 3000m in 8:59.08 while European champion Adam Kszczot closed the track programme, winning the 800m in 1:47.56.
Kamila Licwinko cleared 1.93m to win the high jump.
Beitia claims 16th title at Spanish Indoor Championships
On the second day of the Spanish Indoor Championships in Salamanca, Olympic and European high jump champion Ruth Beitia cleared 1.96m before three attempts at 2.00m to claim her 16th domestic indoor title. On the track, Oscar Husillos eclipsed the Spanish indoor 400m record by 0.01, winning in 45.92 from Samuel Garcia (46.35).
There was some impressive sprinting at the Swiss Indoor Championships in Magglingen. Mujinga Kambundji won the 60m title in 7.18 while Lea Sprunger, who leads the world lists over 400m this winter with 51.46, won the 200m title in a 22.98 PB.
Olesya Povkh clocked 7.15 over 60m at the Ukrainian Indoor Championships in Sumy while 2011 world champion Olha Saladukha went out to a season’s best of 14.02m in the triple jump.
At the Belarusian Indoor Championships in Mogilyev, there were 10,000m race walk world leads from Aleksandr Liakhovich (39:40.97) and Viktoriya Rashchupkina (45:26.82) while world U20 100m hurdles champion Elvira Herman won the 60m hurdles title in a PB of 8.13.
There was a high quality pole vault at the Greek Indoor Championships in Athens with 2014 world indoor champion Konstadinos Filippidis winning on countback from 17-year-old Emmanouil Karalis at 5.70m.
Only one athlete – Sweden’s Armand Duplantis with 5.75m last weekend – has ever gone higher indoors among U20 vaulters.
At the Hungarian Indoor Championships in Budapest, Balazs Baji improved his national record to 7.53 to claim the 60m hurdles title.
At the Dutch Junior Indoor Championships, Jorinde van Klinken won the girls' 3kg shot with 18.89m, moving her to second on the world indoor U18 all-time lsit. In the 60m, N'Ketia Seedo ran 7.54 to equal the world age-13 best.
Steven Mills for the IAAF
