Christina Schwanitz in the women's shot (© Getty Images)
Three world-leading marks were equalled at the Gugl Indoor meeting in Linz on Thursday night (31) – Christina Schwanitz in the Shot, Omo Osaghae in the 60m Hurdles and Zan Rudolf in the 800m.
Schwanitz, the European indoor silver medallist, had extended her own world-leading mark to 19.58m last weekend in Sassnitz, and tonight the 27-year-old German equalled that mark in Linz. All four of her valid throws were comfortably enough to win and her series also included a 19.56m effort before she unleashed her winning throw in the final round. World youth silver medallist Sophie McKinna set a British junior indoor record of 16.38m in second place.
In a men’s 60m Hurdles race with just three competitors, Omo Osaghae was a comfortable winner. The 2011 US indoor champion clocked 7.60 to equal Kevin Craddock’s world-leading time. It is Osaghae’s fastest ever time at sea level. Craddock was second in 7.75.
Just two days after making his indoor debut with a winning performance in Vienna, 19-year-old Slovenian Zan Rudolf chopped half a second off his own national indoor 800m record, winning in 1:46.96, equalling the world-leading mark set by Spain’s Luis Alberto Marco in Valencia last weekend.
Greek Pole Vault record from Filippidis
Konstadinos Filippidis was a clear winner of the men’s Pole Vault. Two-time Olympic finalist Jan Kudlicka exited the competition with a best of 5.55m, while Filippidis sailed over all heights up to 5.70m on his first attempt. He then cleared 5.77m on his second attempt before upping the bar to 5.83m – a height which he successfully negotiated at the third time of asking. He bowed out of the competition after taking three failed attempts at 5.91m. His winning vault of 5.83m is an outright Greek record, bettering his 5.75m indoor best and 5.80m outdoor best, both set last year.
USA’s Mike Rodgers, the 2010 World indoor 60m silver medallist, scored a sprint double, posting season’s bests in both events. The 27-year-old won the 60m in 6.60 a couple of hours before winning the 200m in 21.29.
The top performance in the women’s sprints came from World indoor 400m bronze medallist Natasha Hastings, who won the 200m in 23.55. Earlier in the evening she had finished third in the 60m in 7.36. Compatriot Lekeisha Lawson won in 7.31, having clocked 7.26 in her heat.
Germany’s Ralf Bartels won the men’s Shot with 19.98m, his best indoor throw since the 2011 European Indoor Championships where he won gold. Hungary’s Lajos Kurthy was second (19.38m).
Elsewhere, Yvette Lewis won the women’s 60m Hurdles in 8.05, Ivana Spanovic took the women’s Long Jump with 6.63m, and Kenya’s James Kangogo dipped under eight minutes to win the men’s 3000m in 7:58.61.
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF
