Devynne Charlton on her way to victory in Toruń (© World Athletics 
Adam Nurkiewicz)
Devynne Charlton, Eliott Crestan and Zaynab Dosso ended their World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold campaigns on a high by clinching statement victories in the final meeting of the series in Toruń on Sunday (22).
Overall tour titles in the scoring disciplines offering a bonus of US$10,000 and wildcard entries for next month’s World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 were up for grabs at the Orlen Copernicus Cup, held in the same Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena that will host next month’s global showpiece.
Charlton was among the athletes who secured their tour titles with a win in Toruń. The Bahamian two-time world indoor champion and world record-holder became the fastest woman in the 60m hurdles so far this year as she clocked a meeting record of 7.77 to narrowly hold off Switzerland’s world 100m hurdles champion Ditaji Kambundji.
It was a battle between the two fastest women in history and Charlton got the better start but Kambundji finished strongly to push her rival close, crossing the line just 0.01 back. Nadine Visser was third in 7.80 and home favourite Pia Skrzyszowska fourth in 7.82. Skrzyszowska had earlier won her heat in 7.83.
The women’s 60m is not a scoring discipline on the World Indoor Tour this year but Dosso still made her mark ahead of the World Indoor Championships by setting a meeting and national record of 6.99 to equal the world lead.
The Italian two-time world indoor medallist dipped under seven seconds for the first time – becoming the 15th athlete to ever break the barrier – to beat world indoor bronze medallist Patrizia van der Weken and world 200m silver medallist Amy Hunt who ran respective PBs of 7.01 and 7.04. Home star Ewa Swoboda finished fourth in 7.09.
"Breaking seven seconds for the first time certainly feels special," said Dosso. "Now I feel ready for the World Indoors. The competition will certainly be tough, everyone was setting PBs here, but I am confident about my form."
Belgium’s Crestan achieved his third World Indoor Tour Gold meeting win of the season, adding 800m triumph in Toruń to his victories in Ostrava and Liévin. That saw him claim the overall tour crown after his clear 1:44.07 win ahead of Polish indoor record-holder Maciej Wyderka (1:44.30).
Since the start of this month, Crestan has achieved three of the six fastest times of the season and three of the 12 fastest indoor performances of all time.
Eliott Crestan wins the 800m in Toruń (© World Athletics 
Adam Nurkiewicz)
The women’s 1500m tour title had already been secured by Birke Haylom but France’s European indoor champion Agathe Guillemot achieved a big confidence-boosting win as she overpowered Ethiopia’s two-time world indoor champion Freweyni Hailu to triumph in a PB of 4:00.64.
Hailu and her compatriot Haylom broke away along with Guillemot and Hailu had the lead off the final bend, but Guillemot found a gap on the inside and strode through to win by 0.03. Haylom was third in 4:00.92.
France’s Azeddine Habz ran a meeting record of 3:32.56 – the third-fastest time in the world this year – to win a dramatic men’s 1500m.
The 2025 world leader launched himself over the finish line as a fast-finishing Tshepiso Masalela tried to deny him in the closing stages, but Masalela – making his indoor 1500m debut – was later disqualified and Habz was confirmed as the winner ahead of Samuel Chapple (3:32.68) and Samuel Pihlström (3:33.47), who both set national short track records.
European indoor champion Jakub Szymanski got a win on home soil in the men’s 60m hurdles, clocking 7.48, while Ethiopia’s world indoor silver medallist Nigist Getachew won the women’s 800m in an indoor PB of 1:59.32 as the top six all dipped under two minutes.
World 400m hurdles bronze medallist Emma Zapletalova went quickest in the 400m, winning her race in 50.90, but the overall tour title had already been won by Lieke Klaver who ran 51.35 to finish second in the other 400m final behind Lurdes Gloria Manuel (51.17).
USA’s Joe Kovacs clinched shot put victory during his European indoor meeting debut. The two-time world champion threw a season’s best of 21.92m in the first round and will now aim to secure his spot at the US Championships to compete at his first World Indoor Championships back in Torun next month.
His compatriot Roger Steen, the indoor world leader, was second with a best of 21.62m. Their fellow US thrower Jordan Geist was not competing this time but he clinched the overall World Indoor Tour title thanks to his performances in Ostrava, Madrid and Belgrade.
World silver medallist Maria Zodzik equalled her indoor PB of 1.98m to win the high jump and the overall tour trophy, securing her spot for the World Indoor Championships back on home soil. Jamaica’s Lamara Distin was second on countback and Ukraine’s Yuliia Levchenko was third, both athletes clearing 1.94m.
European indoor champion Larissa Iapichino leapt to victory and the overall tour title, soaring 6.72m to win the long jump by a single centimetre ahead of world indoor silver medallist Annik Kälin, making her season debut.
Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen went into the competition with the overall pole vault tour title secured and he added one more win to his tally in Toruń. He cleared 5.85m to triumph over his brother Simen and USA’s Chris Nilsen, who both cleared 5.80m with Nilsen getting the runner-up spot on countback.
The meeting also featured a pentathlon and that was won by Poland’s Paulina Ligarska by a single point ahead of Great Britain’s Abigail Pawlett – 4676 to 4675, both PB performances.
