Ditaji Kambundji wins the 60m hurdles at the European Indoor Championships (© Getty Images)
Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji produced the standout performance of the European Indoor Championships so far, clocking a European indoor record of 7.67 to win the 60m hurdles on Friday (7) in Apeldoorn.
Her winning time equals the second-fastest performance in history behind Devynne Charlton’s world indoor record of 7.65, and improves Susanna Kallur's European indoor record of 7.68 set back in 2008.
Kambundji earned bronze at the last edition of these championships, then claimed silver at the outdoor European Championships in Rome last year. The 22-year-old headed to Apeldoorn in the form of her life, having set a national indoor record of 7.80 in Torun last month.
After winning her heat (7.92) and semifinal (7.82), Kambundji produced the performance of her life in the final. Two-time winner Nadine Visser provided stiff opposition, but Kambundji pulled clear in the second half and crossed the line in 7.67.
Visser claimed silver with a Dutch indoor record of 7.72 and Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska took bronze in a season’s best of 7.83.
The men’s 60m hurdles final was even closer as Jakub Szymanski timed his finish to perfection to take gold in 7.43 ahead of French duo Wilhem Belocian (7.45) and Just Kwaou-Mathey (7.50).
World and Olympic 5000m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen successfully defended his 1500m title, the first half of what he hopes will be a third successive 1500m/3000m double at the European Indoor Championships.
He took control of the race before the half-way point and wound up the pace before unleashing his finishing kick on the final lap, taking gold in 3:36.56 ahead of France’s Azeddine Habz (3:36.92) and Portugal’s Isaac Nader (3:37.10).
Just one centimetre separated the three medallists in the men’s long jump. Bulgaria’s Bozhidar Saraboyukov produced a final-round effort of 8.13m to beat Italy’s Mattia Furlani and Spain’s Lester Lescay, both finishing with a best of 8.12m.
Six years after winning her first European indoor title, Ana Peleteiro-Compaore regained the triple jump crown with 14.37m.
There was joy for the host nation on Thursday (6), the opening night of the championships, as the Netherlands won the mixed 4x400m. The Dutch quartet, anchored by Femke Bol, claimed gold in 3:15.63.
