Record-Breaking Performances and Thrilling Surprises at CMCM and Sparkassen Indoor Athletics Meeting
The CMCM Indoor Meeting in Luxembourg and the Sparkassen Indoor Meeting Dortmund, both part of the World Athletics Indoor Tour Bronze meetings, showcased remarkable performances from European athletes. These events, held on January 20 and 21, featured national records, world-leading times, and notable comebacks, setting a thrilling tone for the indoor athletics season.
Luxembourg's Patrizia Van Der Weken was the star of the CMCM Indoor Meeting. She stunned the athletics world by setting a massive national record and the early season's world-leading time of 7.09 in the women's 60m final. This feat was preceded by her impressive 7.11 in the heats, improving her own national record. Van Der Weken's performance is a beacon of hope for Luxembourg athletics, particularly as she edges closer to breaking the 11-second barrier in the 100m, a feat never achieved by a Luxembourg athlete. Her record of 11.02 last season suggests that this barrier might soon be history.
The CMCM Indoor Meeting was not just about Van Der Weken's brilliance. In the men's indoor 200m, Polish athletes shone with Albert Komanski taking the win in a swift 20.77, closely followed by Marek Zakrzewski, who set a European indoor U20 record with his 20.80 finish.
Luxembourg's shot putter Bob Bertemes also left an indelible mark. He won the event with a throw of 21.20m, but it was his sixth-round effort of 21.71m that captured attention, marking a world-leading performance and the fourth longest in his career.
Other event highlights included Swiss vaulter Angelica Moser clearing 4.60m in the pole vault and Greece's Antonios Merlos triumphing in the high jump with 2.21m. The 1500m races saw Belgium's Elise Vanderelst (4:07.03) and Portugal's Isaac Nader clinching (3:37.80) victories in the women's and men's categories respectively.
At the Sparkassen Indoor Meeting Dortmund, the spotlight was on Laura Raquel Muller from Germany. The 19-year-old long jumper stole the show by setting a world-leading mark of 6.81m, outshining Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo who finished fourth. Mikaelle Assani and Milica Gardasevic followed in second and third place, respectively.
Georgia Bell's performance in the 1500m was a highlight in Dortmund, setting a meeting record and early season world lead with 4:03.54. Bell, training alongside Olympic and world medallist Keely Hodgkinson, showcased exceptional talent and promise.
The men's 60m at Dortmund was mired in controversy as Henrik Larsson was disqualified for a false start, despite initially winning. This unexpected turn of events led to Joshua Hartmann being declared the winner with 6.59 seconds.
