December 2009
|
|
 |
|
National Indoor Championships: Weekend round-up |
|
|
|
23.02.2009 |
 |
Ariane Friedrich wins with ease at German Indoor
Championships in Leipzig.
|
With less than two-weeks to go for the 30th European Athletics Indoor Championships in Torino, the Indoor circuit in the continent has hit a crescendo. Athletes all over Europe are bracing themselves for the continental supremacy; here is a brief summary of national indoor championships held this weekend.
Germany: Two women jumpers took centre stage on the second day of the German Indoor Championships in Leipzig on Sunday. Silke Spiegelburg won the Pole Vault with a national record of 4.71m, while gifted High Jump star Ariane Friedrich won the competition with a 2.00m clearance. Prodigy Raúl Spank took the men's event with 2.28m and showed promising attempts at 2.33m.
A week after beating Blanka Vlasic in Karlsruhe with a personal best of 2.05m the 24 year-old showed that she is able to jump even higher and came very close to clearing 2.06. Friedrich's continuous rise sets up yet another riveting contest with her arch rival Blanka Vlasic in Torino.
Raúl Spank won the title with his opening jump, but went on to clear 2.24 and 2.28. In the absence of Thomas Blaschek, who suffered a calf muscle injury and watched the events as a spectator, his training partner Erik Balnuweit took the title in the 60m Hurdles in 7.63 seconds.
Click here for full results
France: At the French Indoor Championships in Lievin, favourites Leslie Djhone, Ladji Doucouré and Romain Mesnil lived up to their billing and maintained their supremacy over the emerging generation of French athletes.
20-year-old Yannick Fonsat broke his personal best to set the fastest qualification time (46.97) to set up the tone for final, and in the final they went Shoulder to shoulder at the bell (21.79). Cruising at 300m in 33.5, Djhone maintained and increased his lead in the home straight and the clock stopped at 46.06. It was a significant improvement in his personal best of 46.33 dating back to 2005, and was only 0.04 shy of the old French indoor record set by Stephane Diagana in 1992. Fonsat, second, improved to 46.82.
 |
Ladji Doucouré maintains his position in France.
|
Ladji Doucouré was also challenged by the new guard of French hurdlers, led by Garfield Darien, French under-23 Champion the previous week with a 7.63 run in Bercy. Doucouré had shown good form recently with 7.52 at the Liévin meeting and a win in Bercy in 7.53. During the National Champs, he qualified easily in 7.86. In the final, he had to overcome a slow start to blast away in the last interval and win in 7.63. But Darien was right behind in 7.66.
The 2007 World silver medallist at 50km, Yohann Diniz, decided to start his 5000m race very fast. After the first kilometre, he was eight seconds ahead of the French record held by his former coach Denis Langlois (18:43.20 in 1994). By 2km (7:17.77), his margin was reduced to six seconds. Diniz, not at ease in the 25 lap race format, managed to shave three seconds from the record, winning his first indoor title in 18:40.26.
Click here for full results
Poland: Pole Vault star Monika Pyrek, who has decided to opt out of Torino cleared 4.60 in Pole Vault during second day of national championships. Second Joanna Piwowarska achieved 4.40.
Jan Ciepiela improved to his personal best to 46.82 to win the 400m race. Marcin Jedrusinski expected won the 200 m title (21.32). In tactical encounter newcomer Adam Kszczot won the 800 m final (1:53.24) over former European indoor champion Pawel Czapiewski (1:54.08). Sylwester Bednarek won the High Jump (2.22) and Rafal Augustyn the 5000m walk in 19:23.41 PB.
Marta Jeschke also improved to 23.71 winning the 200 m. European indoor champion Lidia Chojecka got her gold at 1500 m (4:29.54). Joanna Skibinska achieved another triple jump national record (14.10). Kamila Stepaniuk confirmed solid High jump shape with a clearance of 1.90.
Click here for full results
Spain: Spanish Indoor Championships served as the perfect platform for 16-year-old sprint prodigy Alberto Gavalda to make his claim for a spot in the top circuit. He won the senior title for 21.37 at men´s 200m and broke both junior and youth Spanish records.
Heptathlon title went to 20-year-old Cuban Yordanis Garcia for 5905 points (6.92s - 6.85m - 15.93m - 2.01m - 7.92s - 4.70m - 2:52.94) with his victory in 3 events (60m , 60m H and shot put).
Digna Murrilo became the national champion among women at 60m clocking 7.37s but second Amparo Cotan was very close to her with a new PB of 7.40s.
First two women in the final of 200m created their new PBs: first Estela Villalta Garcia in 24.19 and second Andrea Diez in 24.50s.
On the double track, Natalia Romero won in new PB 54.55s. On the men´s side, Santiago Ezquerro clocked 47.34. The next PB and Spanish title went to Elian Periz at women´s 800m achieving 2:05.54.
Natalia Rodriguez broke her own championships record by 3 seconds when she won the women´s 1500 m in 4:12.22, after her biggest rival, Nuria Fernandez did not compete. The men´s winner of the same event became Arturo Casado clocking 3:46.94.
Arantza Loureiro achieved her new PB in the women´s long jump and without any strong concurrence won easily with 6.53m. 30-year-old Magnolia Iglesias was the strongest from the field of women shot putters with 16,11m.
The Spanish record holder in pentathlon, Maria Peinado was the biggest favorite among women in this event. She won 3 from 5 events (shot put, long jump and 800m) and declared her main position with 4328 points (8.59s - 1.69m - 13.31m - 6.09m - 2:17.04). The premiere of the best recent Spanish high jumper Ruth Beitia in pentathlon did not happen.
However, she tried long jump and finished 7th with 5.70m. Men´s 60m Hurdles was a solo of Jackson Quinonez in 7.66s. The men´s High Jump title went to Rodriguez Perez for 2.24m, as he had better attempts than Javier Bermejo also jumping 2.24m. Cuban guest Alexis Copello surprised with a new PB in the first series of men´s Triple Jump winning with solid 17.17m.
Click here for full results
Belgium: The showdown between hurdlers Eline Berings and Elisabeth Davin never materialised as Davin failed to finish in her heat at the Belgian Indoor Championships in Gent.
However, the 60m hurdles still produced the highlight of the championships with a new Belgian record by Berings who went below 8 seconds for the first time (7.99).
Davin on the other hand had to take comfort with her title in the 60m dash in 7.37.
There was a double achieved on the men's side with Broothaerts claiming easy victory in the 60m hurdles (7.81) before defeating Anthony Ferro in the 60m winning in 6.76 from 6.79. Elsewhere, Kevin Rans had the edge over Denis Goosens in the pole vault, 5.35m to 5.30m, Niels Durink took victory in the 400m (47.60), while 1500m indoor record holder Sigrid Vanden Bempt had the edge in the 800m (2:06.11).
Click here for full results
Switzerland: Irene Pusterla improved the U23 National record in Long jump with 6.46m during first day of Swiss Championships. Julien Fivaz got his expected men long jump title with solid 781 cm. Fast 60 m final saw Andreas Baumann winning in 6.74 over Pascal Mancini (6.76, but had 6.74 in heats).
On day two Pole vaulter Nicole Büchler equalled the Swiss pole vault record with 4,40m and Andreas Kundert won the 60m Hurdles title in a good 7.68 and in heats was even faster with 7.65. Lisa Urech improved the U23 record and qualified to Torino with 8.20 at 60 m Hurdles.
Click here for full results
Czech Republic: Lucie Skrobakova equalled her own Czech 60m Hurdles record clocking 8.03 at the Czech Championships in the Stromovka Hall in Prague.
Iva Strakova confirmed her recent great form in the High Jump shape with a season's best clearance of 1.96m. Michal Balner improved his overall Pole Vault PB to 5.66m to take the title while Olympic Long Jump finalist Roman Novotny jumped 7.64m, Libor Zilka improved the championship record of 6.66 to win the 60 m and Iveta Mazacova beat Katerina Cechova in close women 60 m final (7.41 - 7.43).
In the 400m, Petr Szetei gained a spot on the team for Torino with an impressive 46.96 while Zuzana Hejnova clocked 53.82 to win the women 400m.In usual high jump battle Svatoslav Ton got the title with 2.21m ahead of Jaroslav Baba and Tomas Janku as both cleared 2.18m. Janku in his last championships also won silver in Triple Jump (14.72). Javelin world record holder Barbora Spotakova clocked 26.39 in 200 m heats and had a no mark in Shot Put.
Click here for full results
Elsewhere....
Hungarian Championship results
Finnish Championship results
Slovakian Championship results
Austrian Championship results
|
|
|
|
|
|
