Sweden’s pole vault starlet Armand Duplantis smashed his own indoor world record with an astonishing jump of 6.18 metres to secure top spot in the men’s pole vault final on what was a stellar day of athletics at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix Glasgow in the Emirates Arena.
Fresh from clearing 6.17 metres in Torun last weekend, man of the moment Duplantis came to Glasgow looking to better his own record and put on an incredible performance in front of the sold-out crowd.
Having sailed clear at 6.01m, the Swede turned on the style to break his own world indoor record with room to spare, sending the Glasgow crowd into raptures.
He said: “How can I complain, it just feels so good. I felt like I was over it and once I was going over, I knew I had it. You can’t tell how far away you are from the bar, but it felt like a good jump from the get go. I tried a stiffer pole and it worked out.
“It’s the best little split second. Everything builds up to that little split second and the freefall was magical.
“It’s unfair to think I’ll break it every time I compete. I don’t think about it too much. You don’t need to break a record to win every comp. I want to win and that’s always the goal but firstly you’ve got to win and if I have the energy left then I’ll crank it up a bit.”
American Sam Kendricks cleared a best of 5.75m as he took second position, with Belgium’s Ben Broeders setting a Belgian national record, clearing the same height but taking third spot on countback.
In the Women’s 1500m, the British record holder and in-form Jemma Reekie (Andy Young; Kilbarchan), stormed to victory in another of the world tour events as she took ten points in Glasgow, in a time of 4:04:07 seconds.
Reekie, who returned to her preferred 1500m after setting the new British 800m record a fortnight ago, ran a controlled race, biding her time in the middle of the pack, before she moved towards the leading trio of Dawit Seyalum (ETH), Rababe Arafi (MAR) and Murusa Mismas (SLO) at the sound of the bell.
The Scottish athlete then made a late surge from fourth, kicking hard off the final bend onto the home straight, before she took to the outside and surged past her fellow competitors to take the win. Seyalum (4:04:24) and Arafi (4:05:34) then rounded off the podium with second and third place finish respectively.
Reekie said: “It was a good race and a good confidence boost. I try to focus on myself out there because I’ll only ever work with the pressure that I put on myself and I don’t feel it off other people.
“I’m 21-years-old and loving every minute of it. I was here two years ago and got a good cheer off the crowd but the one I got today was bigger and I feel proud of myself for it and enjoyed every minute of being out there.
“I always used to say I like slipping under the radar but Laura said last week I’d have to get used to not slipping under the radar anymore. But I’m still just Jemma and I love doing what I have been doing since the age of nine, I do this because I love it and I’m learning so much from it both as an athlete and a person.”
Andrew Pozzi (Santiago Antunez; Stratford-upon-Avon) continued his unbeaten form indoors, as he took another victory in the men’s 60m hurdles.
Pozzi produced a polished 7.57s ahead of Yaqqub Mohamed Al Youha (KUW) in 7.61s and Milan Trajkovic (CYP), who was third in 7.72s. David King (City of Plymouth) clocked 7.77s to take fourth spot in a season’s best.
The Müller performance of the day went to Jessica Knight (Marina Armstrong; WSEH) in the women’s 400m, who put in a superb display to take victory and move up to third in the world standings as she cut the tape in a fantastic time of 51.51s.
The WSEH athlete controlled the pack from start to finish in the world tour event to earn ten points. However, European Indoor and outdoor 400m bronze medallist Lisanne de Witte (NED) remained top of the standings following a third-place finish in 53.97s which moved her onto 27 points, three ahead of Justyna Swiety-Ersetic (POL), who finished in second.
It was a case of Laura Muir (Andy Young; Dundee Hawkhill) to bring proceedings to a close with an indoor world record attempt over the women’s 1000m.
On her final lap, Muir pushed as much as she could, but just fell short of the timings needed to set a new record as she crossed the line in a season’s best time of 2:33:47 seconds. It was a British top two, as Adelle Tracy (club: Guildford & Godalming) took second with a personal best performance of 2:37:95 seconds. The British pair were then followed in third by Katharina Trost (GER) who clocked a time of 2:37:96 seconds.
Muir said after the event: “I thought I went through the first 400m ok. I was a little down at 600m and oh that last lap was so sore.
“I just wanted to run as hard as I could. I think from where I am at, I am happy with that but I would have loved to have broken that world record. Almost but not quite – it would have been great to have done it here. It’s always a great atmosphere here.
“That’s me done for the indoors. I’ll be back out training in the wind and rain tomorrow.”
Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (UKR) won the women’s long jump with a furthest effort of 6.90m, winning the event in comfortable fashion, with a distance of 6.90m. Khaddi Sagnia (SWE) placed second with a jump of 6.53m.
British interest came in the form of Jazmin Sawyers (Lance Brauman; City of Stoke), who placed third with 6.47m with Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Bertrand Valcin; Liverpool) matching her effort, season’s bests for the pair.
On the track in the Men’s 400m, Akeem Bloomfield (JAM) ran a stellar race to claim victory, coming through from third on the home straight to win in a time of 46.20 seconds. Obi Igbokwe (USA) (46.41 seconds) claimed second and Yousef Karam (KUW) in 46.49s for third, as Britain’s James Williams (Paul Waters; Liverpool) finished fifth with a personal best of 47.26s.
However, it was to be Bethwell Birgen (KEN) who was to cross the line in first with a season’s best of 3:36:22 seconds, followed by the world indoor silver and outdoor bronze medallist Marcin Lewandowski of Poland in second (3:37:13) and Jesus Gomez (ESP) (3.38:81) in third.
Copeland narrowly missed out, as he came home fourth with a personal best time of 3:38:81 seconds. Mills (3:39:25 seconds) and Davis (3:44:48 seconds) both found it tough, as they took 6th and 7th respectively and as for Grice, following a good start, he did not finish after a suffering a fall midway through the race.
The women’s 60m hurdles final proved to be a close race, as Alina Talay (BLR) 8:03 won the world tour event by an inch after a photo finish. Nia Ali (USA) (8.03 seconds) took second place, with tour leader Christina Clemons (USA) just behind in third (8.04 seconds) after they all came through their heats with ease.
In the women’s 60m, world 100m and 4x100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) started the day as hot favourite to win, and she carried that throughout with a strong display as she crossed the line with a season’s best performance of 7.16s. In second, Murielle Ahoure (CIV) clocked her own season’s best of 7.22s, as Fraser-Pryce’s fellow countryman Natasha Morrison (JAM) came third in 7.30s.
As for the Brits, there was a good battle between Amy Hunt (Joe McDonnell; Charnwood) and Ama Pipi (Enfield & Haringey) for fourth, but it was Hunt who came out on top in that one, clocking 7.36s, just in front of Pipi in fifth who finished in 7.42s.
Ronnie Baker (USA) matched the stadium record as he won the men’s equivalent in 6.50s, from fellow American Mike Rodgers, who notched a season’s best 6.67s. The best of the Brits was CJ Ujah (Ryan Freckleton; Enfield & Haringey) in 6.68s
Elsewhere, Guy Learmonth (Henry Gray; Lasswade) was the top performing Brit in the men’s 800m final as he finished in an impressive third with a season’s best time of 1:47:16, but it was Adam Kszczot (POL) won the event, clocking 1:46:52, whilst Cornelius Tuwei (KEN) came second in 1:46:52 in a frantic.
Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) took victory in the high jump, clearing 1.93m, with Bethan Partridge (Graham Ravenscroft; Birchfield) taking second with a jump of 1.90m. Airine Palsyte (LTU) then took third with 1.86m.
Words courtesy of https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/news-and-features/duplantis-breaks-world-record-once-again-with-stellar-showing-in-glasgow/