Three German women jumpers have started their 2009 indoor campaign with very promising results over the past weekend.

High Jumper Ariane Friedrich cleared 2.00m to win the regional championships in Hanau on Sunday (18). The 25-year-old, who intends to win her first medal at senior level at a major championship in the European Indoors in Turin, Italy in March, cleared 1.84m, 1.90m, 1.95m and 2.00m each at her first attempt. She then missed 2.03 m three times, which would have been a personal indoor best.

Within the next four weeks Friedrich plans to compete at four meetings: Hustopece, Gothenburgh, Arnstadt and Karlsruhe.

Anna Battke took the Pole Vault at the regional championships in Ludwigshafen on Saturday (17). The 24-year-old achieved a personal best of 4.60m. She then went for a new German indoor record, but missed 4.71m three times.

A day later (Sun 18), Silke Spiegelburg also cleared 4.60 m to take the regional championships at Leverkusen. On Saturday Tobias Scherbarth had won the men’s Pole Vault with 5.70m, beating Danny Ecker (5.50m) into second.

Jörg Wenig for the IAAF