National championships round-up: Mihambo leaps world-leading 7.16m in Berlin

European champion Malaika Mihambo saved her best for the final round of the long jump on the second of two days at the well-attended German Championships in Berlin, leaping a world-leading PB of 7.16m (0.4m/s).

It was a good recovery for the 25-year-old, who had opened her series with two fouls. But she flew out to 6.76m in the third round to take the lead and continue in the competition. After leaping 6.66m and 6.68m in the following rounds, she flew out to a lifetime best with the final jump of the day.

Mihambo hadn’t jumped beyond seven metres up until two months ago, but in what has so far been an undefeated outdoor campaign she has jumped 7.07m at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Rome, 7.05m in Dessau, 7.02m at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in London and now 7.16m in Berlin, cementing her status as the world No.1 in her event.

The highlight of the opening day of the German Championships was a national record of 14:26.76 from Konstanze Klosterhalfen in the 5000m.

In what was effectively a solo run, the European indoor silver medallist maintained a near metronomic pace throughout, covering the first kilometre in 2:54.88 and reaching 3000m in 8:44.49. Despite being comfortably ahead of her nearest challenger, Alina Reh, Klosterhalfen then upped the pace and covered the final kilometre in 2:49.11.

She crossed the finish line in 14:26.76, almost a minute ahead of Reh. She took 16 seconds off the previous German record, set 20 years ago by Irina Mikitenko, and moves to fourth on the European all-time list, just four seconds shy of Sifan Hassan’s European record.

“I already had good memories of this blue track after last year’s European Championships, so I wanted to come here and enjoy the competition,” she said. “I didn’t set out to break the record, but I wanted to run as fast as I could.”

The men’s javelin was, of course, one of the most hotly contested events of the weekend.

Somewhat surprisingly, Julian Weber’s opening effort of 83.96m stood up as the leading mark for nearly the entire competition. European silver medallist Andreas Hofmann came close with a third-round throw of 83.44m while Olympic champion Thomas Rohler managed 80.76m in that same round.

In the final round, Rohler improved to 82.70m but remained in third place. Hofmann sent his spear out to 87.07m to move into first place. Weber responded with what was clearly his best effort of the day but his 86.60m wasn’t quite enough to regain the lead, ending the competition in second place.

Tatjana Pinto achieved her first ever sprint double at the German Championships, winning the 100m in 11.09 (0.1m/s), the second-fastest time of her career, and taking the 200m in a PB of 22.65.

European champion Christin Hussong was a clear winner of the women’s javelin, throwing 65.33m. Kristin Pudenz was a surprise winner of the discus title, throwing a PB of 64.37m to defeat Nadine Muller by 38 centimetres.

Elsewhere, 2015 world bronze medallist Gesa Felicitas Krause won the women’s 3000m steeplechase in 9:28.45, while Raphael Holzdeppe took the men’s pole vault title with 5.76m.

Warholm and Ingebrigtsen brothers star at Norwegian Championships

World 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm won twice over a lap of the track at the Norwegian Championships in Hamar.

On Friday (2), the opening day of the championships, he won his specialist event in 47.43, the third-fastest time of his career after the European records of 47.33 and 47.12 he has clocked on the IAAF Diamond League circuit this season.

Andreas Haara Bakketun finished second in 50.97, breaking Warholm’s national U20 record.

Roughly 80 minutes later, Warholm won his heat of the 400m flat to qualify for the final on Saturday. He duly won that too, recording a season’s best of 45.54 to win by more than two seconds.

The Ingebrigtsen brothers each left Hamar with a gold medal. Double European champion Jakob ran 3:36.33 to win the 1500m by eight seconds. Filip won the 800m in 1:48.45, while Henrik took the 5000m title in 13:50.77.

Two days after finishing third in the 5000m in 13:57.88, Sondre Nordstad Moen won the 10,000m title in 28:13.14.

In another solo effort, European bronze medallist Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal won the women’s 3000m steeplechase in a season’s best of 9:24.53.

Throwers impress at Chinese Trials

Three weeks after the Chinese Championships, China staged their official World Championships Trials in Shenyang  to give their top athletes an extra chance at gaining qualifying marks and spots on the national team.

Lyu Huihui, who broke her own Asian javelin record three weeks ago with 67.83m, extended it further on Friday (2) with a world-leading 67.98m, marking her 10th consecutive victory this year.

The world bronze medallist opened her series with 66.50m before producing her record-breaking throw in the second round. Happy with her performance, she passed her four remaining attempts. Liu Shiying, the Asian Games champion, finished second with 65.82m.

World shot put champion Gong Lijiao and world hammer silver medallist Wang Zheng were comfortable winners of their events, throwing 19.16m and 73.81m respectively.

Jumpers and sprinters provided the highlights of the men’s disciplines.

Wu Ruiting bounded out to 17.47m to win the triple jump, moving up to third on the Asian all-time list. Zhu Yaming jumped 17.23m to finish second.

Wang Jianan, the 2015 world bronze medallist, equalled his season’s best of 8.18m to win the long jump.

Xie Zhenye and Liang Xiaojing secured sprint doubles. Xie won the men’s 100m in 10.03 and the 200m 20.34, while Liang clocked 11.27 (-1.2m/s) and 22.93 to win the women’s 100m and 200m.

Elsewhere, Xie Wenjun won the 110m hurdles in 13.43 and Huang Bokai took the pole vault title with 5.71m.

The standout performance at the Turkish Championships came from Nigeria’s African champion Ese Brume, who was competing as a guest in the long jump. She sailed out to 7.05m (0.9m/s) to take the victory, moving to second on the African all-time list.

Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF