Spain’s Sergio Sánchez proved again to be in stellar form this winter season by clocking a new 3000 indoor career best with a 7:42.71 performance which is also a new early season world leader.

The 27-year-old rising star stamped his authority at the ‘Copa del Rey’ event held last Saturday (30 January) in Valencia, venue of the last IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2008.

After a slow 2:42.50 split for the opening kilometre, Sánchez decided to break away from the rest of the field and covered the second 1000m section in a stunning 2:29.25 (5:11.75 overall); the closing kilometre witnessed Sánchez’s magnificent display of courage and determination to romp home in 7:42.71 (2:30.96 for third kilo).

“After a conservative first 1000m I wanted to make a kind of 2000m test in 5:00 as that’s the kind of pace I need to break the European 3000m indoor record,” said the in-form Sánchez.

As was the case last weekend – when he set a new European best of 4:52.90 over 2000m on Saturday (23) night before taking part at the Elgoibar XC permit on Sunday (24) afternoon - Sánchez also made ‘the double’ on this occasion by contesting the ‘Cross Ciudad de Valladolid’ on Sunday (31) where he finished fourth, some 39 seconds behind his fellow Spaniard Carlos Castillejo (a 27:39.79 10,000m specialist) who got the better of top Kenyan Hosea Macharinyang in a close sprint finish, 28:44 and 28:45 their respective times.

Sánchez now aims to smash the European indoor 3000m record which was set by his countryman Alberto García back in 2003 with a 7:32.98 clocking. The venue for his assault remains uncertain – either in Valencia on 13 February of the following weekend in Birmingham on 20 February.

Kigen and Kalovics the overwhelming victor in San Sebastián XC

Kenya’s Mike Kigen captured a brilliant win at the ‘Cross Internacional de San Sebastián’ held on Sunday (31) on a quite muddy circuit which strongly hampered the effort of the athletes. The men’s 10,000 race witnessed the African supremacy from the start in the guise of Kigen and the Eritrean pair of Samuel Tsegay and Amanuel Mesel.

That triumvirate led the race for the opening three kilometres but Kigen’s front tactics paid dividends shortly afterwards and first Mesel and later Tsegay lost touch with the 24-year-old Kenyan, who came a fine 5th at the 2006 World Cross Country championships in Fukuoka.

By halfway (15:41 for a lonesome Kigen) it became clear that, barring disaster, the Kenyan would be the eventual winner as the Madrid-based pair of Tsegay and Mesel ran well back 10 and 22 seconds behind respectively.

The second half witnessed how Kigen (holder of a 12:58.58 5000m PB) strengthened his leadership to such an extent that no less than 51 seconds separated his winning time of 31:29 from Tsegay’s 32:20 for second while Mesel completed the podium another 32 seconds adrift.

The women’s 6000m event was taken in style by Hungary’s former (2003) European XC bronze medallist Aniko Kalovics. It was Spain’s reigning European Cross Country silver medallist Rosa Morató who made most of the early pacing alongside Ukraine’s 2006 European XC champion Tatyana Holovchenko while the ‘defending champion’ Kalovics ran tucked behind.

Shortly after the 2000m point the Ukrainian tried to pull away from the others but her bid was unsuccessful and the decisive movement was signed by Kalovics who injected a brisker pace with the clock reading eight minutes to move away with ease from Holovchenko and Morató, with the former getting rid of the Spaniard easily to secure the second spot.

The second half of the race became a solo run by the 32-year-old Kalovics to romp home in 19:45 for Holovchenko’s 19:51 while the steeplechaser Morató completed a classy podium 21 seconds behind the victor. Spain’s reigning World 3000m steeplechase champion Marta Domínguez faded on the muddy surface and only finished 10th, 1:31 in arrears.

19-year-old Bustos clocks 1:47.23

Spain’s reigning European 1500m junior champion David Bustos’ momentum continues at this early stage of the indoor season. Following a fine 3:40.23 1500m performance last 15 January in Valencia, Bustos produced a 1:47.23 run in the 800m event on the same track.

Paced until the 400m point in 53.6 the fast-improving Spaniard managed to maintain the rhythm over the second lap to cross the line in a fast 1:47.23, even faster than his 1:47.50 PB outdoors.

Bustos will skip the IAAF permit in Valencia, opting instead for the Spanish U-20 indoor championships to be held that weekend (13/14 Feb) in Seville where he has scheduled to compete at his specialist event, the 1500m. However, Bustos has also announced he will tackle the 800m at the national championships to be held later this month in Valencia (27/28 Feb).

Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF

Leading Results - Cross Internacional de San Sebastián (31 Jan) -

Men (10,000m) -
 1.  Mike Kigen (Ken) 31:29
 2.  Samuel Tsegay (Eri) 32:20
 3.  Amanuel Mesel (Eri) 32:52
 4.  Chakir Boujattoui (Mor) 33:02
 5.  Alberto García (Esp) 33:07
 6.  Bengamin Malaty  (Fra) 33:55
 7.  José Ríos (Esp) 34:35
 8.  Jordi Comas (Esp) 34:53
 9.  Javier Carriqueo (Arg) 35:19
10. Eliseo Martín (Esp) 35:31
Women (6000m) -
 1. Aniko Kalovics (Hun) 19:45
 2. Tatiana Holovchenko (Ukr) 19:51
 3. Rosa Morató (Esp) 20:06
 4. Gema Barrachina (Esp) 20:15
 5. Lidia Rodríguez (Esp) 20:31
 6. Hanan Ouhaddou (Mor) 20:34
 7. Marisa Casanueva (Esp) 20:36
 8. Mariya Konovalova (Rus) 20:38
 9. Cristina Jordán (Esp) 21:06
10. Marta Domínguez (Esp) 21:16