Freweyni Hailu Shines at Czech Indoor Gala, Breaking into All-Time Top Six in Women's
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The Czech Indoor Gala, this season's second World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold event held in Ostrava on Tuesday (30), witnessed a series of exceptional performances, notably Freweyni Hailu's remarkable feat that elevated her to sixth place in the women’s mile short track all-time rankings. In addition, standout efforts from athletes like Lieke Klaver and Ewa Swoboda, who set new meeting records, further highlighted the event's competitive spirit. This follows the season opener in Astana on Saturday and marks Ostrava's debut in hosting a meeting at the tour's highest level, an occasion that certainly lived up to its prestigious stature with an array of impressive athletic displays.
World 1500 metres silver medallist Freweyni Hailu from Ethiopia won the women’s mile setting a meeting record and a world leading of 4:17.36. World Indoor bronze medallist Hirut Meshesha finished second in 4:19.53.
Freweyni Hailu: “I am very happy with my performance today. I won a medal at the last World Indoor Championships. This time I am planning to run the 1500 metres and I am ready for it”.
Women’s 60 metres:
European Indoor silver medallist Ewa Swoboda stormed to a win in the women’s 60 metres in a meeting record of 7.07 ahead of Patrizia Van der Weken from Luxembourg (7.17) and Rani Rosius from Belgium (7.23). Viktoria Forster from Slovakia finished fourth in 7.26.
Ewa Swoboda: “I am satisfied with my performance today. I like the figures 7.07, since this was my world junior record. I love running in Ostrava. My goal for the indoor season now is Torun, then the National Championships. I don’t want to speak about fast I am going to run. I approach the indoor season the same as I do every year. It’s important for me. It does not matter that it’s an Olympic year”.
Women’s 400 metres:
European indoor silver medallist Lieke Klaver won the women’s 400 metres setting the world seasonal lead and the meeting record with 50.54. Henriette Jaeger from Norway finished second in 51.57.
Lieke Klaver: “I always run fast in Ostrava. This is a very good start to the season. Today I told my brother I was going to run 50.70 and I did even better, so I have to be satisfied. I am planning to go to the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow. I can challenge Femke Bol there. I always to challenge everyone, including myself.
Women’s 60 metres hurdles final:
Pia Skryszowska won the women’s 60 metres hurdles final improving the meeting record with 7.82 claiming her second win of the season after taking the victory in Lodz in 7.85. Two-time European indoor champion Nadine Visser finished second in 7.93 edging European finalist Sarah Lavin from Ireland with the same time in a close photo-finish. US indoor champion Alaysha Johnson finished fourth in 7.94 ahead of her compatriot Amber Hughes (8.03).
Skryszowska previously won her heat in 7.88 at the start of the meeting ahead of Sarah Lavin from Ireland (7.95). Visser from the Netherlands won the second heat in 7.95 ahead of US indoor champion Alaysha Johnson (8.01).
Pia Skryszowska: “A meeting record is always nice and this one especially since the previous one belonged to my training partner Nadine Visser. I was hoping I can shave another 0.05 off this time to set a national record, but a win on the World Indoor Tour is a good achievement. I definitely dream of getting into 7.7 territory. I have a few days to rest for my next competition in Torun, so I should recover and refocus for that one. The Olympics are a long time away. I am not thinking about them yet. I am focusing on the indoor season.
Women’s pole vault:
World indoor bronze medallist Tina Sutej from Slovenia cleared 4.73m to win the women’s pole vault. Sutej needed three attempts at 4.53m before clearing 4.63m, 4.68m and 4.73m at the first time of asking. Czech record holder Amalie Svabikova cleared 4.63m in the third attempt to take second place. Italian indoor record holder Roberta Bruni placed third with 4.53m beating world championships fifth placer Angelica Moser on countback.
Tina Sutej: “I am satisfied with the way I started the season. I enjoy jumping in Ostrava. The crowd here is amazing. The reason I am able to keep on improving is that I try to fix things in my technique. I think I can still progress. My goal for the winter season is to break my national record. At the World Indoor Championships I want to vault my best”.
Men’s long jump:
Olympic and world champion Miltiadis Tentoglou leapt to 8.09m in the third round to take his third win in the men’s long jump at the Czech Indoor meeting. Tentoglou backed up this result with a second best jump of 8.00m.
Miltiadis Tentoglou: “I felt good today, but the first competition of the year is always difficult for me. I was making technical mistakes, but that’s normal in my case. I like to jump indoors. I feel it’s my territory, where there is no wind or weather to worry about. I have already won everything I could and what motivates me more now is to try to jump further. It is ok to lose sometimes, the distances are more important. My goals for the season are 8.50m indoors and 8.75m”
Men’s shot put:
NACAC champion Roger Steen clinched the win in the men’s shot put with 21.38m in the sixth round overtaking Radek Stanek, who took the early lead with 21.33m in the third round. Two-time Olympic bronze medallist Tom Walsh from New Zealand placed third with 21.17m in the third round.
Roger Steen: “It was a good field, but I came into the competition thinking it was wide open since it’s so early in the season. I believed I had a chance. I am heading back to the USA for the National Championships. If I qualify for the World Indoors, I may come back to Europe”.
Men’s 800 metres:
Tshepiso Maselela from Botswana, who finished sixth at the World Championships in Budapest, won the men’s 800 metres in 1:46.41 holding off World Championships semifinalist Catalin Tecuceanu, who set the Italian fastest time this season with 1:46.90. Mateusz Borzkovski finished third in 1:47.33.
Tshepiso Maselela: “It was my first indoor race and it is different because of the curves. You need more technique to run indoors. Since I was a junior athlete, I always wanted to try it. I think I am going to like it. My plan was to stay in the front. That’s what I told the organizers before the race. I am planning to run four indoor races and going back to South Africa. I have not decided yet if I am going to compete indoors.
Men’s 1500 metres:
Portugal’s Isaac Nader won the men’s 1500 metres race improving the meeting record and the world seasonal best to 3:34.23. The previous meeting had been held by Elliot Giles with 3:35.93 since 2022.
Samuel Philstroem from Sweden finished second setting the national record with 3:35.47 beating Romain Mornet from France (3:37.22) and Raphael Pallatsch from Austria (3:37.36 national record).
Isaac Nader: “It’s a national record for me, so I am very happy, but I expected it. I think I can even run 3:32-3:33 indoors, but I would need more guys staying with me in the race to do that”.
Men’s 60 metres final:
Olympic 4x100 relay silver medallist Yoshihide Kiryu won the men’s 60 metres final improving the Japanese record to 6.53. German 200 metres outdoor champion Joshua Hartmann finished runner-up in 6.57. European Indoor bronze medallist Henrik Larsson from Sweden finished third in 6.59.
Hartmann clocked the fastest time in the heats with his PB of 6.54 edging out Kiryu (6.55) and Larsson from Sweden (6.60).
European 100 metres bronze medallist Jeremiah Azu won the first heat in 6.65 ahead of European indoor champion Samuele Ceccarelli (6.73).
Men’s 400 metres:
Vit Muller from Czech Republic claimed the win in the men’s 400 metres first race in 46.26 ahead of European outdoor finalist Lionel Spitz from Switzerland (46.57) and three-time world indoor champion Pavel Maslak (47.01). The Czech athlete ran two hundredths of a second faster than Hungarian record holder Attila Molnar, who won the second race in 46.28.
Men’s 200 metres:
Eduard Kubelik from Czech Republic improved his PB to 20.66 to win the A race ahead of Poland’s Albert Komanski (20.93). Ondrej Macik from Czech Republic won the B race in 20.95 holding off 2022 Italian outdoor champion Diego Aldo Pettorossi by 0.01.
