Molly Caudery celebrates her performance at the UK Indoor Championships in Birmingham (© Getty Images)
Molly Caudery made a statement ahead of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 on home soil, clearing a world-leading PB of 4.85m to win the pole vault at the UK Indoor Championships in Birmingham on Saturday (17).
The 23-year-old had cleared 4.83m on her season debut at the Meeting de L'Eure, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting, in Val-de-Reuil at the end of January. That added eight centimetres to her lifetime best as she launched herself into the No.1 spot on the season top list.
New Zealand’s Eliza McCartney then replaced Caudery as the world leader with her 4.84m clearance to win at last weekend’s World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Lievin, but Caudery responded by increasing the world lead by another centimetre with her championship record-breaking performance in Birmingham.
Entering the competition at 4.41m, she had the title secured when she soared over the bar on her first attempt. She needed two tries at 4.61m but then cleared 4.75m on her first go.
After clearing 4.85m on her third attempt, Caudery had the bar raised to a national record height of 4.91m but decided to call it a day after running through her first attempt at that bar.
Caudery, the 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist, finished fifth at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest where she cleared 4.75m.
Having improved her lifetime best by 25cm in the past year, she will look to carry that momentum through to the World Indoor Championships at the start of next month.
Among those set to join her on the host nation team in Glasgow are Jeremiah Azu, who won the men’s 60m title in 6.60, plus 60m hurdles winners Tade Ojora (7.62) and Cindy Sember (7.99).
Amy Hunt claimed the women’s 60m title in 7.26.
Schilder takes top shot spot
Jessica Schilder improved her own national shot put record by seven centimetres to a world-leading 20.31m to win her fifth consecutive title at the Dutch Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn on Saturday.
The world indoor bronze medallist threw her previous best to win the European title in Munich in 2022 and she surpassed 20 metres for the second time in her career in the final round of the competition in Apeldoorn.
The 24-year-old opened with a throw of 19.50m and followed that with 19.39m in the second round. She improved to 19.73m in the fourth round before going more than half a metre farther with her final attempt.
Schilder, who claimed bronze at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon in 2022, won the competition ahead of two-time world fourth-place finisher Jorinde van Klinken, who threw 18.64m.
Nadine Visser, the 2018 world indoor 60m hurdles bronze medallist, secured victory in the 60m flat, clocking a PB of 7.19 to pip N'ketia Seedo by 0.01.
Menno Vloon cleared 5.83m to win the men’s pole vault.
All eyes will be on Femke Bol in Sunday’s 400m final. The world indoor record-holder with the 49.26 she clocked to win the national title last year, Bol cruised through her heat on Saturday, easing over the finish line in 50.55. Lieke Klaver won another heat in 51.31.
Furlani flies 8.34m to threaten world U20 record
Mattia Furlani equalled the world lead with a national indoor record of 8.34m to win the long jump at the Italian Indoor Championships in Ancona on Saturday (17).
Mattia Furlani at the Italian Indoor Championships in Ancona (© GRANA / FIDAL FIDAL)
With that performance, the 19-year-old achieved the farthest ever indoor jump by an U20 athlete, just a single centimetre off the world U20 record of 8.35m set in 2012.
His series included the three longest leaps of his career so far. The European U20 champion opened with a PB of 8.31m, then matched his previous best of 8.24m before jumping 8.03m in the third round and improving to 8.34m in the fourth round.
He chose to pass his fifth attempt and fouled in the final round.
The women’s long jump title was claimed by European indoor silver medallist Larissa Iapichino, who jumped 6.80m.
Two other Italian records were also set on Saturday. Elisa Molinarolo cleared 4.66m to improve Roberta Bruni’s recently set national indoor pole vault record by a centimetre, while Lorenzo Simonelli clocked 7.48 to win the 60m hurdles and beat his own previous national record of 7.50.
At the Polish Indoor Championships in Torun on Saturday, world indoor fourth-place finisher Ewa Swoboda won her heat in 7.09 and then returned to claim her eighth national indoor title in 7.05.
Pia Skrzyszowska won the 60m hurdles in 7.91 after a 7.99 heat and Oliwer Wdowik won the men's 60m in 6.64.
Cyrena Samba-Mayela was among the winners at the French Indoor Championships in Miramas on Saturday.
The 23-year-old, who won the world indoor 60m hurdles title in Belgrade two years ago, clocked 7.87 to regain the national title, after clocking 8.00 in the heats.
Jeff Erius retained his crown in the men’s 60m, clocking a PB of 6.58, while Orlann Oliere won the women’s title in 7.21.
Two-time world U20 champion Erwan Konate might have only had one valid leap but the mark of 7.97m he recorded in the third round was enough for him to win the long jump title.
Max Hess soared 17.03m to win the men's triple jump at the German Indoor Championships in Leipzig – the best result from his eight national indoor title wins.
The women's 60m title was claimed by Rebekka Haase from Alexandra Burghardt as both athletes clocked 7.21. The top two in the men's race also recorded the same time, Kevin Kranz getting the nod over Aleksandar Askovic as they both ran 6.61.
At the Spanish Indoor Championships in Ourense, Marta García and Adel Mechaal triumphed in the 3000m, clocking respective winning times of 8:54.96 and 8:15.61.
Jorge Urena won the heptathlon with 5885 points, while the 60m titles were claimed by Sergio Lopez in 6.64 and Jael Bestue in 7.22 after a 7.18 PB in the semifinals. Fatima Diame leapt 6.56m to win the long jump.
