Vienna, Austria - Returning to the venue that hosted some of the most memorable moments of their careers, Jolanda Ceplak and Jason Gardener generated the headline performances on Tuesday (30) at the AthleticBet.com Indoor Classic in the Austrian capital.

Ceplak returns to WR venue

Nearly five years after her electrifying 1:55.82 World indoor record in the 800 metres, Jolanda Ceplak returned to Ferry-Dusika-Halle where she wore Bib #1, and the 30-year-old Slovenian didn’t disappoint.

Running an even tempo throughout - aided by a 58 second pacing effort for the first half - Ceplak reached the line in 1:59.33 in her first indoor appearance since March 2005.

“I have really good memories from here,” said Ceplak, who needed nothing less than a World record to capture her 2002 European title. “I really did miss having some competition tonight, but it was a good opening effort.”

In that race, both she and Austrian Stefanie Graf dipped under the previous World record that had stood for more than 14 years, and Ceplak admitted that she missed Graf in this race.

“I heard that she’s back in training so I really hope to see here racing soon.”

Dogged by injury the past several seasons, the 2004 Olympic bronze medallist said she’s on the mend, and recently finished her first complete fall training stint in two years, and was pleased with the outcome.

“I ran a very even tempo and I wasn’t really tired.” Her performance is the second fastest in the world in the young season, but perhaps more telling is that this was her first sub-2 minute indoor debut since her record-setting 2002 season. She races next in Stuttgart on Sunday, where she will face some of the stiff competition she’s looking for.

Gardener gradually dusting off the rust

Also striking gold at those continental championships was Briton Jason Gardener, who captured his second of three European titles at 60 metres in Vienna. He too emerged victorious, reaching the line in 6.62, but was shadowed closely by Italy’s Simone Collio, who closed quickly to clock 6.65.

I’m pleased to have run better than I did just a couple days ago in Glasgow, but I wanted to run faster in that second race,” said Gardener, who looked comfortable after stopping the clock in 6.58 in the late afternoon heats, a season's best. At the Norwich Union International Match on Saturday, he was upset by his training partner Craig Pickering, who ran a world-leading 6.55 to Gardener’s 6.70.

“I have big hopes of running faster than that, I know it’s within my capability."

Gardener, who dashed to the 2004 World indoor title as well, added, "My goal was to run 6.5 something, because that was more reflective of my training. I feel like I’m still trying too hard instead of finding the rhythm and letting it do what it can do.”

Gardener’s next race is also in Stuttgart on Sunday.

Elsewhere, a slew of PBs

Sonja Roman of Slovenia displayed good early season form, wining the 1500 by more than 13 seconds in 4:10.88 in her 2007 debut over the distance. Her gun-to-tape solo run knocked nearly a full second from her previous career best set nearly three years ago and is also an early-season world lead.

Conversely, the men’s contest was hotly contested, with Italian Christian Neunhauserer running down a tightly-knit pack over the home straight to win in 3:43.55. Dutchman Michiel Loschner (3:43.71) was second, just a hair ahead of Briton Chris Warburton (3:43.92).

Romania’s Ionela Tirlea, the 2004 Olympic silver medallist in the 400m Hurdles, continued her steady comeback after a series of health problems cut her 2006 season short, winning the 400 in 52.94. Slovenia’s 800m specialist Brigita Langerholc passed Briton Helen Karagounis in the waning moments of the second section to finish runner-up in 53.11, knocking a whopping 8/10s of a second from her own national record.

In the men’s race, Arismendy Peguero’s 46.73 solo effort from the first section was strong enough for the victory, a 59/100s indoor improvement for the World and Olympic 4x400 Relay medallist for the Domincan Republic. He ended the day with a victory in the 200 as well.

Propelled by a strong second half, Bulgarian Magdalena Khristova won the women’s short dash in 7.32, a career best for the 29-year-old.

After a comfortable 8.08 in the qualifying round of the 60 metre Hurdles left her nearly 3/10s of a second faster than the rest, it appeared that American Lolo Jones would be the runaway winner in the final two hours later. But the first hurdle, which knocked her off balance and subsequently out of the race, had other plans. With the heavily favoured American out, Slovenia’s Radmila Vukmirovic edged Italian Marzia Caravelli to win in 8.39.

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

Selected results:

MEN –

60m:
1. Jason Gardener, GBR, 6.62
2. Simone Collio, ITA, 6.65
3. Paul Hession, IRL, 6.66
4. Mark Findlay, GBR, 6.68
5. Darren Chin, GBR, 6.70

Heats:
- Gardener, 6.58, Collio 6.62

200m:
1. Arismendy Peguero, DOM, 21.38

400m [combined sections]:
1. Arismendy Peguero, DOM, 46.73
2. David Green, GBR, 47.35
3. Claudio Licciardello, ITA, 47.48

800m:
1. David Takacs, HUN, 1:48.54
2. Andreas Rapatz, AUT, 1:49.39
3. Jozep Repcik, SVK, 1:49.47

1500m:
1. Christian Neunhauserer, ITA, 3:43.55
2. Michiel Loschner, NED, 3:43.71
3. Chris Warburton, GBR, 3:43.72
4. Liam Reale, IRL, 3:43.92

3000m:
1. Martin Steinbauer, AUT, 7:56.47
2. Adam Bowden, GBR, 8:05.50
3. Balasz Csillag, HUN, 8:16.06

60mH:
1. Adrien Deghelt, BEL, 7.73
2. Damjan Zlatnar, SLO, 7.74
3. Elmar Lichtenegger, AUT, 7.77

TJ:
1. Jaroslav Dobrovodsky, SVK, 15.75

LJ:
1. Tomasz Mateusiak, POL, 7.68
2. Nils Winter, GER, 7.66

PV:
1. Janos Vaczi, HUN, 5.26
2. Jure Batagelj, SLO, 5.26
3. Christian North, GBR, 5.26
 
WOMEN –

60m:
1. Magdalena Khristova, BUL ,7.32
2. Pia Tajnikar, SLO, 7.40
3. Nina Kovacic, SLO ,7.41

200m:
1. Nora Ivanova-Edletzberger, AUS, 23.75
2. Katerina Cechova, CZE, 24.30
3. Ciara Sheehy, IRL 24.30

400m [combined sections]:
1. Ionela Tirlea, ROM, 52.94
2. Brigita Langerholc, SLO, 53.11 NR
3. Helen Karagounis, GBR, 53.12
4. Kim Wall, GBR, 53.98

800m:
1. Jolanda Ceplak, SLO, 1:59.33
2. Najla Jaber, NED, 2:04.40
3. Joanna Ross, GBR, 2:04.43

1500m:
1. Sonja Roman, SLO, 4:10.88
2. Tina Brown, GBR, 4:23.34

60mH:
1. Radmila Vukmirovic, SLO, 8.39
2. Marzia Caravelli, ITA, 8.40

PV:
1. Krisztina Molnar, HUN, 4.36
2. Ellie Spain, GBR, 4.26
3. Elena Scarpellini, ITA, 4.16
4. Tina Sutej, SLO, 4.06
5. Anna Giordana Brno, ITA, 4.06

LJ:
1. Natalia Sorokina, UKR, 6.16

TJ:
1. Marija Sestak, SLO, 14.08
2. Irina Beskrovanja, SVK, 13.50