MADRID, SPAIN, March 02—Olympic champion Yulimar Rojas gave her own World Indoor Record its closest scare yet to highlight the final gold-level stop on the World Indoor Tour, the Villa de Madrid meeting.
Rojas twice threatened the mark of 50-7½ (15.43) she set here 2 years ago. After an opening foul, she flew 50-4½ (15.35) to miss by a mere 3 inches. She pressed hard then — too hard — and fouled her next 2. Then she came even closer with her 50-6¾ (15.41) in round 5. At first, Rojas thought she had broken the record, leaping out of the pit and launching into a celebratory dance befitting the liveliness of her close-shorn purple hair.
“It was very good, and for my first competition it went really well,” said the 27-year-old Venezuelan. “There are small details we need to work on, but I felt really good and it was what we wanted.
“We’ll recuperate now and get ready for Belgrade. The most important thing there is to do a better mark. I want to be champion of the world, but I also want to enjoy the championships.”
The men’s 3000 saw a free-for-all once the pacers stepped off, with Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega holding off attacks from home favorite Mohamed Katir and then Lamecha Girma. He crossed the line in 7:34.03 to Girma’s 7:34.09. The winner said that Madrid’s altitude (696m) made him throw out any notions of a World Record.
“I decided maybe it was not the time to run fast. The target now is to become world champion.”
Elliot Giles used a ferocious kick to hit the 800 finish in 1:45.43, with Spain’s Mariano Garcia in 1:45.82.
Gudaf Tsegay won another fast 1500, this one in 3:57.38; that gave her the overall tour victory and the No. 5 time in history.
Americans Elijah Hall (6.57) and Mike Rodgers (6.60), having skipped the USATF Indoor, went 1-2 in the 60.
MADRID MEN’S RESULTS
(Indoor Tour Gold; 200 banked)—
60: 1. Elijah Hall (US) 6.57; 2. Mike Rodgers (US) 6.60; 3. Jimmy Vicaut (Fra) 6.62; 4. Joris van Gool (Neth) 6.62; 5. Jeremiah Azu (GB) 6.63.
800: 1. Elliot Giles (GB) 1:45.43; 2. Mariano Garcia (Spa) 1:45.82; 3. Álvaro de Arriba (Spa) 1:45.97; 4. Adrian Ben (Spa) 1:46.17 PR; 5. Collins Kipruto (Ken) 1:46.18; 6. Andreas Kramer (Swe) 1:46.72; 7. Saul Ordóñez (Spa) 1:47.41; 8. Michael Saruni (Ken) 2:25.90 (fell).
3000: 1. Selemon Barega (Eth) 7:34.03; 2. Lamecha Girma (Eth) 7:34.09; 3. Adel Mechaal (Spa) 7:35.26; 4. Mohamed Katir (Spa) 7:35.73; 5. Hugo Hay (Fra) 7:41.59 PR; 6. Addisu Yehune (Eth) 7:47.53 PR; 7. Jacob Kosgei (Ken) 7:48.32 PR.
60H: 1. Asier Martínez (Spa) 7.56; 2. Enrique Llopis (Spa) 7.56 PR; 3. David King (GB) 7.57 PR; 4. Milan Trajkovic (Cyp) 7.64; 5. Gregor Traber (Ger) 7.70; 6. Jason Joseph (Swi) 7.82.
Field Events
TJ: 1. Lázaro Martínez (Cub) 56-2 (17.12) (55-3¾, 56-2, f, 51-6½, 54-7½, 47-8) (16.86, 17.12, f, 15.71, 16.65, 14.53);
2. Max Heß (Ger) 55-3½ (16.85); 3. Jean-Marc Pontvianne (Fra) 54-8¼ (16.67); 4. Nikólaos Andrikópoulos (Gre) 53-8¼ (16.36); 5. Tiago Pereira (Por) 53-5 (16.28).
SP: 1. Konrad Bukowiecki (Pol) 71-10¾ (21.91) (71-8, f, 68-2½, 71-10¾, 68-1½, f) (21.84, f, 20.79, 21.91, 20.76, f); 2. Filip Mihaljević (Cro) 71-7½ (21.83) (64-10, 69-3½, 70-6¼, 68-8½, 71-2, 71-7½) (19.76, 21.12, 21.49, 20.94, 21.69, 21.83); 3. Zane Weir (Ita) 70-2½ (21.40); 4. Nick Ponzio (Ita) 69-4¼ (21.14); 5. Francisco Belo (Por) 67-8¾ (20.64);
6. Bob Bertemes (Lux) 66-9¼ (20.35); 7. Carlos Tobalina (Spa) 66-5 (20.24); 8. Tsanko Arnaudov (Por) 66-1½ (20.15).
MADRID WOMEN’S RESULTS
400: I–1. Justyna Święty-Ersetic (Pol) 51.21 PR; 2. Modesta Morauskaitė (Lit) 51.63 NR; 3. Phil Healy (Ire) 51.66 PR.
II–1. Sophie Becker (Ire) 52.98; 2. Hanne Claes (Bel) 53.05 PR; 3. Anita Horvat (Slo) 53.15; 4. Aauri Lorena Bokesa (Spa) 53.22; 5. Cátia Azevedo (Por) 53.59.
800: 1. Catriona Bisset (Aus) 2:00.10; 2. Adelle Tracey (GB) 2:01.89; 3. Christina Hering (Ger) 2:01.99; 4. Jen Selman (GB) 2:02.14; 5. Sara Kuivisto (Fin) 2:02.36 NR; 6. Lorena Martin (Spa) 2:02.96.
1500: 1. Gudaf Tsegay (Eth) 3:57.38 (x, 5 W);
2. Hirut Meshesha (Eth) 4:02.22; 3. Freweyni Hailu (Eth) 4:03.38; 4. Gaia Sabbatini (Ita) 4:10.25 PR; 5. Axumawit Embaye (Eth) 4:10.32; 6. Agueda Muńoz (Spa) 4:10.50; 7. Jessica Hull (Aus) 4:11.39.
60H: 1. Zoë Sedney (Neth) 7.95 PR; 2. Reetta Hurske (Fin) 8.00; 3. Sarah Lavin (Ire) 8.14; 4. Teresa Errandonea (Spa) 8.16; 5. Paola Vazquez (PR) 8.20 =PR.
Field Events
HJ: 1. Eleanor Patterson (Aus) 6-5 (1.96); 2. Ella Junnila (Fin) 6-2¾ (1.90); 3. Marija Vuković (Mont) 6-1½ (1.87);
4. Emily Borthwick (GB) 6-1½; 5. Heta Tuuri (Fin) 6-0 (1.83).
LJ: 1. Lorraine Ugen (GB) 21-10¾ (6.67); 2. Fatima Diame (Spa) 21-4¼ (6.51); 3. Larissa Iapichino (Ita) 21-2 (6.45);
4. Irati Mitxelena (Spa) 21-1¼ (6.43); 5. Evelise Veiga (Por) 20-9¾ (6.34).
TJ: 1. Yulimar Rojas (Ven) 50-6¾ (15.41) (WL) (x, 2 W) (in/out: x, =8 W) (f, 50-4½ [WL—x, 3 W], f, f, 50-6¾, 48-10¾) (f, 15.35, f, f, 15.41, 14.90);
2. Liadagmis Povea (Cub) 46-2½ (14.08); 3. Ottavia Cestonaro (Ita) 44-8¾ (13.63). ◻︎