Rheinstetten (dpa) – Olympic pole vault champion Armand Duplantis impressively demonstrated his great strength right at the start of the World Cup year.
The 22-year-old Swede won the Karlsruhe Athletics Meeting with 6.02 meters in front of the previous year’s best KC Lightfoot from the USA (5.89). Cheered on by 1,000 spectators, Duplantis was unable to jump the world record height of 6.19 meters. Duplantis is the first pole vaulter to break the six meter mark in North Baden.
In the 3000m, 20-year-old Berihu Aregawi of Ethiopia clocked a time of 7:26.20, just 1.3 seconds beating 24-year-old Kenyan Daniel Komen’s world record. Aregawi set a world record in the 5,000 meter road run just four weeks ago. The 22-year-old Dortmunder Mohamed Mohumed improved his best time to 7:41.35 minutes and thus clearly undercut the norm for the World Indoor Championships from March 18th to 20th in Belgrade. Only two Germans were ever faster than Mohumed.
High jumper Imke Onnen from Hanover caused further joy from a German point of view at this station of the World Indoor Tour Gold. She shared the victory in 1.91 meters with the British Emily Borthwick, with whom she now leads the world list at a young age.
Long jump Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo agreed at the start of a great year of competition even without a final and with 7.48 seconds over 60 meters. “It was okay. I notice that I’m more of a long jumper than a sprinter,” said the 27-year-old from LG Kurpfalz. “It always takes a few races to get into sprint mode. It was definitely fun.”
Mihambo is only planning a short indoor season. After the German championships in Leipzig on February 26th and 27th, the indoor competitions are over for her this year. Then the focus will be more on the World Championships from July 15th to 24th in Eugene/USA and the home European Championships in Munich as part of the European Championships (August 11th to 21st).