Olympics champion Ogunleye 19.78m at ISTAF Dusseldorf is indoor season’s best
Olympic shot put gold medallist Yemisi Ogunleye ramped up her preparation for the Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships with a season’s best of 19.78m in front of 7550 fans at the ISTAF Indoor Düsseldorf on Sunday 9.
The German produced her best effort in the second round to get the better of a strong international field ahead of twice European indoor medallist Fanny Roos of Sweden who had a best of 18.82m and Portugal’s Jessica Inchude, 8th at the Paris Olympics, who was third with 18.61m.
There was also a fine victory in the men’s pole vault by Germany’s Torben Blech, who cleared 5.80m at the first attempt to win the competition from twice world champion Sam Kendricks of USA, whose best clearance was 5.70m.
Elsewhere at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting, former Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo won an experimental women’s long jump using a take-off zone, her best effort being measured at 6.87m in the fourth round. The men’s 60m was won by 2023 European indoor bronze medallist Henrik Larsson of Sweden in 6.54.
2021 European indoor gold medallist Wilhem Belocian, 2024 World indoor bronze medallist Just Kwaou-Mathey and 2023 European indoor gold medallist Jason Joseph were all timed at 7.52. Swiss sprinter Joseph was judged to be third, but the French duo could not be separated and were awarded joint first place.
Germany’s Simon Batz, sixth in the Paris Olympics, won the men’s long jump with 8.00m. There were home victories by Gémima Joseph in 7.23 and for Laeticia Bapté in the women’s 60m hurdles with 7.83 at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting
