Athens, Greece - Four world indoor season leading performances were set at the “Athina 2008” - IAAF Indoor Permit - meeting held tonight in Peania, Greece.

On song were Slovenia’s Mariija Sestak in the women’s Triple Jump (15.08m), while a Greek record for Chrysopigi Devetzi who was runner-up with 14.89m kept the local spectators in the highest of spirits.

Kenya’s Daniel Komen Chipchirchir in the men’s 1500m (3:34.80), and Russia’s Yuliya Golubchnikova in the women’s Pole Vault (4.75m) were also in top form.

Panama’s Irving Saladino 8.42m in the men’s Long Jump was the other world lead but on a negative note with less than a month to go to the 12th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain (7 – 9 March), three of the world’s best long jumpers exited the competition with injury worries.

National records for Sestjak and Devetzi

Although Yargelis Savigne of Cuba, the reigning World champion, withdrew from the meeting due to tiredness, the women's Triple Jump was by no means an anti-climax.

Slovenia’s 28-year-old Marija Sestak, the fifth place finisher in Osaka last summer continues her improvement. Following on from a 14.60m national indoor record in Düsseldorf last Friday (8 Feb), tonight the 1998 World Junior bronze medallist produced an astonishing new national indoor record of 15.08m, the longest jump so far in the world this winter. Sestak’s previous overall personal best had been the 14.92m performance she had set outdoors last June.

Greece’s Osaka World bronze medallist Hrysopiyi Devetzi also had a good meeting, finishing in second place with her own national record of 14.89m, the second best performance in the world this winter. Devetzi, 32, the 2004 Olympic silver medallist and the 2004 World Indoor bronze medallist, is in fine form having jumped a personal best of 6.85m for the Long Jump recently.

“I won’t compete in any other meetings before Valencia” stated Devetzi after the event. “Tonight I had on my mind the national record and I did it. In Valencia I’ll be registered in both events and after the Triple Jump I’ll decide about my possible participation in the Long Jump too.”

In third place tonight was the French record holder Tereza N’Zola Meso Ba who improved her indoor record to 14.53m.

Daniel Komen Chipchirchir impresses

Kenyan Daniel Komen Kipchirchir, who was the silver medallist of the last World Indoor Championships, and compatriot Suleiman Simotwo, along with Ethiopian Deresse Mekkonen brought home the fastest 1500m race of the season so far.

Ruling the race from the early stages this trio struck out for a fast pace which garnered them the top three positions on the current world season list. Komen clocked 3:34.80, Simotwo placed second in a personal best of 3:35.46, while the Ethiopian was third improving his career best to 3:35.51.

Bahrain’s Mansour Ali Bilal was fourth in this race with 3:36.38, only slightly short of his indoor area record of 3:36.28 (2007).

Golubchnikova clears 4.75m

Russia’s Yuliya Golubchnikova set the third world leading mark of the meeting. She cleared 4.75m in the Pole Vault while Germany’s Carolin Hingst placed second with 4.65m also improving her season’s best performance. Former World record holder Russia’s Svetalana Feofanova got third with 4.50m.

Saladino shines but exits injured in the third round

The Long Jump competition brought a marvellous result but ultimately proved to be very unlucky for three of the participants.

Panama’s World champion Irving Saladino leapt to a world leading 8.42m, which was by far and a way enough to win the competition. However, in the third round he was obliged to exit the competition after suffering an injury. In the same round, the Greek champion Luis Tsatoumas also had to abandon with an injury, having already jumped 7.98m which secured second place.

It was a night of injury woes as only a few minutes before reigning World Indoor gold medallist, Ghana’s Ignisius Gaisah, had also prematurely ended his competition because of a knee tendon rupture. Gaisah ended the night in fifth with 7.78m.

Brazil’s Rogerio Bisbo placed third with 7.91m and Britain’s Chris Tomlinson was fourth with 7.83m.

At the time of filing this report, all the injured athletes were under further medicine investigation to ascertain the severity of their injuries.

Surprising High Jump competition

In the men’s High Jump the favourites failed not only to impress but also to achieve any better than moderate jumps. The reigning World champion of the event, Bahamas Donald Thomas cleared 2.20m for a lowly 8th place, while Cyprus’ Kyriakos Ioannou, 2007 World Championship bronze medallist, was only 7th with the same performance. Slightly better was 2005 World champion, Ukraine’s Yuriy Krimarenko, who took fourth place with 2.24m.

Three jumpers achieved 2.27m to take the top positions, with the win going to Ukraine’s Dmitry Demyanyuk, and Spain’s Xavier Bermejo and USA’s Jesse Williams in second and third.

Cherry and Scott, the winners in the 60m Hurdles

American Damu Cherry was the winner of the women’s sprint hurdles in 7.94sec defeating Jamaican Lacena Golding Clark who clocked 7.98. The reigning World Indoor champion, Ireland’s Derval O’ Rourke, clocked 8.09 for fourth place, with USA’s Kellie Wells was third with 8.06.

British Allan Scott dominated the men’s race in 7.61, followed by Jamaican Maurice Wignall and British compatriot Andy Turner.

Williams wins the dash

USA's Angela Williams improved her season’s best in the 60m dash to 7.13sec, the second fastest performance of the year, while Taeshia Harrigan from the Virgin Islands was second in 7.17.

In the men’s sprint American Michael Rogers was the fastest of the night with 6.58sec, followed by British Ryan Scott who clocked 6.59.

Elsewhere…

Poland’s Evelyna Setowska won the women’s 800m in 2:01.89, followed by Russian Tatyana Palijenko who clocked 2:02.08.

The women’s 400m was taken by Nigeria’s Christy Ekpukhon in 52.92, while Dominica’s Chris Lloyd won the men’s race in 46.30.

Michalis Nikitaridis for the IAAF

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