BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, February 19 — The Müller GP’s field event action was what didn’t happen. After winning the vault with a clutch third-attempt clearance at a world-leading 19-10¼ (6.05), Mondo Duplantis took three attempts at the World Record height, 20-3¾ (6.19), that has been taunting him for an extended 7-meet stretch now. He missed that setting in his final 3 meets of last year and has now added on another 4 to start this one.
His first attempt knocked the bar off on the way up. No. 2 saw him get the height, but come down on the bar. It was No. 3 that drove the crowd — and the young Swedish-American — crazy. With plenty of height, he lightly brushed the standard with his thighs on the descent, then gave it a light bump with his chest. For a moment, it looked like he had it but the bar, reluctantly it seemed, fell at last.
“I’ve got mixed emotions,” said Duplantis, 22. “6.05 is a good jump and result but I really wanted that 6.19. I have expectations of myself and I know there are good conditions indoors so I can break the World Record. I want it so badly.”
Keely Hodgkinson delivered the fastest 800 time in 20 years with a stirring British Record 1:57.20 to cap the day’s track events. The 19-year-old (for 11 more days) Olympic silver medalist followed a rabbit through a 58.58 at halfway and then led past the bell in 1:28.35, finishing powerfully to move to No. 6 on the all-time indoor list. She left Australian Catriona Bisset (1:59.46 NR) and Jamaican Natoya Goule (1:59.85) far back.
““I really wanted to try and front run,” said Hodgkinson. “I was annoyed because I stumbled a bit on the last corner and I feel like that might have cost me a 10th of a second, but we’ll just correct that next time and hope I can go quicker. But I’m really happy with that race. I want to rewrite the history books but that World Record is going to take some getting to. I am really happy with today and we’ll just build on it from there.”
The last time anyone ran more quickly than Hodgkinson was on the day the Briton was born, when Jolanda Čeplak set the standard of 1:55.82. More trivia came from the winner’s size-7 spikes, which set two national records. Ossam Meslek was a late entry to the 1500, and forgot his spikes. In the borrowed pair, he ran an Italian Record 3:37.29.
A strong men’s 800 saw Kenya’s Collins Kipruto edge Britain’s Elliot Giles 1:45.39–1:45.42. Erik Sowinski had taken them through halfway in 50.68 before Giles took over, but Kipruto’s mad finish dash caught him at the line.
The 1500 was just as competitive, with rabbit supreme Sowinski returning to pace Abel Kipsang of Kenya to a 3:34.57 triumph over Spain’s Adel Mechaal (3:35.30) and Germany’s Robert Farken (3:35.44).
In the women’s sprint, Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah opened her campaign with a 7.08 win over Mujinga Kambundji (7.11) and Daryll Neita (7.13).
Australia’s Eleanor Patterson won the high jump at 6-5½ (1.97), while Olympic champion Mariya Lasitskene managed only 3rd at 6-3¼ (1.91).
Several wins came from a small American contingent. Kahmari Montgomery led from wire to wire to win the 400 in 45.72.
Noah Lyles needed a PR 6.55 to win the dash in a decision over Ronnie Baker, who had led most of the way to clock the same 6.55, with Elijah Hall (6.56) and Michael Rodgers (6.58).
Grant Holloway again displayed his dominance in the hurdles, his 7.41 easily beating Britain’s Andrew Pozzi (7.59) and fellow American Jarret Eaton (7.60).
BIRMINGHAM MEN’S RESULTS
(Indoor Tour Gold; 200 banked)—
60: 1. Noah Lyles (US) 6.55 PR; 2. Ronnie Baker (US) 6.55; 3. Elijah Hall-Thompson (US) 6.56; 4. Mike Rodgers (US) 6.58; 5. Charlie Dobson (GB) 6.59 PR; 6. Andrew Robertson (GB) 6.59; 7. Adam Thomas (GB) 6.61 PR; 8. Jeremiah Azu (GB) 6.63.
400: 1. Montgomery 45.72; 2. Liemarvin Bonevacia (Neth) 46.08; 3. Edward Faulds (GB) 46.16 PR; 4. Carl Bengtström (Swe) 46.18; 5. Patrik Šorm (CzR) 46.72; 6. Pavel Maslák (CzR) 46.80.
800: 1. Collins Kipruto (Ken) 1:45.39 PR; 2. Elliot Giles (GB) 1:45.42; 3. Álvaro de Arriba (Spa) 1:45.82; 4. Guy Learmonth (GB) 1:46.46 PR; 5. Marcin Lewandowski (Pol) 1:46.62; 6. Marc Reuther (Ger) 1:46.84; 7. Saul Ordóñez (Spa) 1:46.85; 8. Adam Kszczot (Pol) 1:47.14;… rabbit—Eric Sowinski (US) (50.68).
1500: 1. Abel Kipsang (Ken) 3:34.57 PR; 2. Adel Mechaal (Spa) 3:35.30 PR; 3. Robert Farken (Ger) 3:35.44 PR; 4. George Mills (GB) 3:36.03 PR; 5. Piers Copeland (GB) 3:36.12 PR; 6. Ossama Meslek (Ita) 3:37.29 NR; 7. Charles Grethen (Lux) 3:37.38 NR; 8. Charlie Da’Vall Grice (GB) 3:39.59; 9. Andrew Coscoran (Ire) 3:41.46; 10. Archie Davis (GB) 3:44.32; 11. Abdirahman Saeed Hassan (Qat) 3:45.74; 12. Neil Gourley (GB) 3:52.08;… dnf—Jake Wightman (GB);… rabbit—Sowinski (56.18,, 58.18 [1:54.36]).
60H: 1. Grant Holloway (US) 7.41; 2. Andy Pozzi (GB) 7.59; 3. Jarret Eaton (US) 7.60; 4. Jakub Szymański (Pol) 7.62; 5. David King (GB) 7.63 =PR; 6. Yaqoub Al-Yoha (Kuw) 7.65; 7. Orlando Ortega (Spa) 7.79; 8. Ronald Levy (Jam) 7.87.
Field Event
PV: 1. Mondo Duplantis (Swe) 19-10¼ (6.05) (WL) (18-4¾, 19-¾, 19-10¼ [3], WR 20-3¾ [xxx]) (5.61, 5.81, 6.05 [3], 6.19 [xxx]);
2. Thiago Braz (Bra) 19-¾ (5.81); 3. Ben Broeders (Bel) 18-8¾ (5.71); 4. Rutger Koppelaar (Neth) 18-4¾ (5.61); 5. tie, Cole Walsh (US) & Nate Richartz (US) 17-11 (5.46); 7. Harry Coppell (GB) 17-5 (5.31).
BIRMINGHAM WOMEN’S RESULTS
60: 1. Elaine Thompson-Herah (Jam) 7.08; 2. Mujinga Kambundji (Swi) 7.11; 3. Daryll Neita (GB) 7.13 PR; 4. Amy Hunt (GB) 7.15 PR; 5. Molly Scott (Ire) 7.21 =NR; 6. Maria Isabel Pérez (Spa) 7.33; 7. Destiny Smith-Barnett (US) 7.64.
400: 1. Stephenie Ann McPherson (Jam) 51.39 PR; 2. Lieke Klaver (Neth) 51.49; 3. Justyna Święty-Ersetic (Pol) 52.09; 4. Roneisha McGregor (Jam) 52.32 PR; 5. Jessie Knight (GB) 52.35; 6. Janieve Russell (Jam) 52.53 PR.
800: 1. Keely Hodgkinson (GB) 1:57.20 NR (WL) (6, 11 W);
2. Catriona Bisset (Aus) 1:59.46 NR; 3. Natoya Goule (Jam) 1:59.85; 4. Christina Hering (Ger) 2:00.94; 5. Adelle Tracey (GB) 2:01.52; 6. Jen Selman (GB) 2:01.57; 7. Cynthia Anais (Fra) 2:01.60; 8. Hedda Hynne (Nor) 2:02.05;… rabbit—Aneta Lemiesz (Pol) (58.58).
1000: 1. Isabelle Boffey (GB) 2:38.25 PR (WL);
2. Angelika Cichocka (Pol) 2:38.57 PR; 3. Katharina Trost (Ger) 2:38.62; 4. Gaia Sabbatini (Ita) 2:38.67 NR; 5. Esther Guerrero (Spa) 2:38.81 PR; 6. Jemma Reekie (GB) 2:39.74 PR; 7. Georgie Hartigan (Ire) 2:40.01 PR; 8. Federica Del Buono (Ita) 2:40.25 PR.
1500: 1. Dawit Seyaum (Eth) 4:04.35; 2. Sarah Healy (Ire) 4:06.94 PR; 3. Linden Hall (Aus) 4:07.36 PR; 4. Amy-Eloise Markovc (GB) 4:08.68 PR; 5. Erin Wallace (GB) 4:08.90 PR; 6. Claudia Bobocea (Rom) 4:09.25; 7. Marta Pérez (Spa) 4:09.27; 8. Kristiina Mäki (CzR) 4:09.55; 9. Holly Archer (GB) 4:15.33;… rabbit—Anna Ferencz (Hun) (66.48).
60H: 1. Zoë Sedney (Neth) 8.02; 2. Ditaji Kambundji (Swi) 8.05; 3. Mathilde Heltbech (Den) 8.12; 4. Klaudia Wojtunik (Pol) 8.14 =PR; 5. Sarah Lavin (Ire) 8.15; 6. Holly Mills (GB) 8.24;… dq—Gréta Kerekes (Hun), Luminosa Bogliolo (Ita).
Field Events
HJ: 1. Eleanor Patterson (Aus) 6-5½ (1.97) (missed 6-6¾/2.00); 2. tie, Mariya Lasitskene (Rus) & Laura Zialor (GB) 6-3¼ (1.91); 4. Mirela Demireva (Bul) 6-2 (1.88); 5. Emily Borthwick (GB) 6-½ (1.84); 6. Imke Onnen (Ger) 5-10¾ (1.80);… nh—Marithé Engondo (Swi).
LJ: 1. Khaddi Sagnia (Swe) 21-11¾ (6.70); 2. Akela Inatta-Jones (Bar) 21-4¾ (6.52); 3. Ivana Vuleta (Ser) 21-4¼ (6.51); 4. Abigail Irozuru (GB) 21-½ (6.41); 5. Lorraine Ugen (GB) 20-11¼ (6.38); 6. Jazmin Sawyers (GB) 20-7¼ (6.28); 7. Petra Beáta Farkas (Hun) 20-¼ (6.10);… 5f—Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (Ukr). ◻︎