Fortunato breaks world indoor 5000m race walk record in Ancona

European bronze medallist Francesco Fortunato smashed the long-standing world indoor 5000m race walk record at the Italian Indoor Championships in Ancona, clocking 17:55.65* on Saturday (22).

The 30-year-old covered the first kilometre in 3:39.6, then increased the pace to reach 2000m in 7:16.9. He went through 3000m in 10:54 and covered the final kilometre in a swift 3:29 to cross the finish line in 17:55.65, taking more than 11 seconds off Mikhail Schennikov’s world indoor record set 30 years ago.

“It was a dream to improve the Italian record, so it’s crazy that the world record fell too,” said Fortunato, who was on the triumphant Italian team for the marathon mixed relay at last year’s World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Antalya. “Today I killed two birds with one stone. I’m very happy, it’s a great achievement.”

Elsewhere on the first day of action in Ancona, European silver medallist Larissa Iapichino won the long jump with 6.69m while Matteo Sioli took the men’s high jump with 2.28m.

On day two, world indoor bronze medallist Zaynab Dosso won the women's 60m in 7.07 after running 7.10 in her semifinal, while Yassin Bandaogo took the men's title in 6.69. Andrea Dallavalle soared a PB of 17.36m to win the men's triple jump and Leonardo Fabbri won the men's shot put ahead of Zane Weir, 21.85m to 21.76m.

*Subject to the usual ratification procedure

Karalis clears 6.01m

On a busy weekend of national indoor championships action, Olympic silver medallist Emmanouil Karalis cleared an outright Greek record, winning the pole vault at the Greek Indoor Championships in Piraeus with 6.01m. He needed two attempts to get over 5.85m, then cleared 5.95m and 6.01m on his first try.

Olympic champion Yemisi Ogunleye produced the early standout performance at the German Indoor Championships, throwing an outright PB of 20.27m to win the shot put. Katharina Maisch was second with 19.10m, also a PB.

On Sunday, two-time world champion Malaika Mihambo won the long jump with a 6.79m leap ahead of Mikaelle Assani (6.57m).

On the first day of the French Indoor Championships in Miramas, Laeticia Bapte continued her remarkable breakthrough season by winning the 60m hurdles in 7.78, following a 7.76 lifetime best in the semifinals which elevates her to seventh on the European indoor all-time list. Wilhem Belocian won a close men's 60m hurdles final in 7.52, just 0.01 ahead of Just Kwaou-Mathey.

The men's pole vault title was claimed by Thibaut Collet who cleared 5.82m to beat Renaud Lavillenie (5.76m).

Andreas Almgren, who recently set a European 10km record of 26:53 in Valencia, dropped down in distance to win the 3000m at the Swedish Indoor Championships in 7:36.38 after a solo run.

Kambundji wins Swiss 60m title in 7.03

Mujinga Kambundji, who won the world indoor title in 2022, stormed to the 60m title at the Swiss Indoor Championships in 7.03 – matching the third-fastest time of her career and missing the world lead by just 0.01. 

The following day, Ditaji Kambundji – the younger sister of Mujinga – was just 0.02 off her own national record when winning the 60m hurdles in 7.82. Another fast time was posted in the men's final as European indoor champion Jason Joseph won in 7.45, also missing his own national record by just 0.04.

World indoor heptathlon champion Simon Ehammer was second in that 60m hurdles final in 7.75, one day after winning the long jump with a leap of 8.10m and getting close to his PB with 6.76 in the 60m heats.

Like Ehammer, Olympic heptathlon fourth-place finisher Annik Kalin won the long jump with a leap of 6.68m and was also second in the 60m hurdles, finishing runner-up to Ditaji Kambundji in a PB of 7.92. She raced the 60m, too, running a PB of 7.27 in the semifinals to make the final.

Schilder surpasses 20 metres in Apeldoorn

Two-time European champion Jessica Schilder highlighted the first day of the Dutch Indoor Championships, winning the shot put with 20.19m. European 4x100m bronze medallist Minke Bisschops took the 60m title in a PB of 7.20.

The following day, Nadine Visser improved her own championship record in the 60m hurdles, clocking 7.84 in the heats and then winning the final in 7.90. World indoor silver medallist Lieke Klaver secured the 400m title in 51.11 ahead of Cathelijn Peeters who set a PB of 51.56.

Championship records also fell in the men's 1500m, won by Stefan Nillessen in 3:37.08, and the women's 3000m, won by Maureen Koster in 8:50.74. Menno Vloon flew to the pole vault title by clearing 5.83m.

Three championship records were set at the British Indoor Championships: Neil Gourley clocked 3:38.84 to win the men's 1500m, George Mills ran 7:40.16 to win the men's 3000m and Scott Lincoln threw 20.86m to win the men's shot put.

Hannah Nuttall pipped Laura Muir in the women's 3000m, 8:49.49 to 8:50.16, with Muir contesting her first race since the Paris Olympics. Georgia Hunter Bell retained her national indoor 1500m title in 4:13.23. Morgan Lake won the high jump by clearing 1.94m.

Enrique Llopis won the men's 60m hurdles title in 7.50 at the Spanish Indoor Championships ahead of Abel Jordan who clocked a PB of 7.53 the day after winning the 60m in another PB of 6.54.

Mariano Garcia claimed the 800m title in 1:46.05 ahead of Alvaro de Arriba (1:46.13), while Jaime Guerra soared 8.14m in the long jump.

At the Polish Indoor Championships, Justyna Swiety-Ersetic pipped Natalia Bukowiecki in the 400m, 51.52 to 51.87, while Jakub Szymanski clocked 7.43 to take the 60m hurdles title. Anna Matuszewicz soared a 6.71m PB and national U23 record in the long jump.