Browsing: Hengelo

Back in the stadium where she set her European 10,000m record of 29:36.67 last October, Sifan Hassan continued to make history by smashing the world record with a time of 29:06.82* in Hengelo on Sunday (6).

Racing at the FBK Games – a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting – and with the world record always in her sights, the double world champion took more than 10 seconds off the 29:17.45 global mark for the 25-lap event which had been set by Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

On world record pace from the start, the Dutch star began behind pacemakers Diane van Es and Jackline Rotich, with Van Es taking the leaders through 1000m in 2:56.12.

Rotich was then to the fore, reaching 2000m in 8:47.91, but soon after Hassan was clearly wanting to push the pace. With 19 laps to go she had passed the pacemaker and was following the Wavelight technology, steadily ticking off the laps.

She went through halfway in 14:38.75 and continued to get quicker, running a 2:45 final kilometre and lapping the entire field which included seven other athletes who would go on to achieve the Olympic qualifying time of 31:25.00. Crossing the finish line with 29:06.82 on the clock, Hassan raised her hands to the air and then sank to the track in delight.

“Wow, to run this world record here today in Hengelo is something I could only dream of,” she said. “It’s the perfect confirmation of the hard work we’ve put in getting ready for Tokyo. I am so happy to share this record in front of my Dutch fans. I am so happy!”

Hassan adds this latest mark to her world records in the mile, one hour event and road 5km.

In addition, she also holds European records in the 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and half-marathon.

More than a minute and a half behind her were Kenya’s Irine Jepchumba Kimais and Daisy Cherotich, with Kimais narrowly claiming the runner-up spot – 30:37.24 to 30:37.31. Their compatriot Joyce Chepkemoi Tele was fourth in 30:59.01.

Duplantis soars

The women’s 10,000m had been the first track event on the main programme and it ensured that celebrations for the 40th FBK Games started in superb style. Innovations at the event – which welcomed 1500 fans to the Fanny Blankers-Koen Stadion – included a live ‘second screen’ broadcast and a virtual audience connected by Zoom, and fans were treated to even more record-breaking performances as the meeting went on.

World pole vault record-holder Mondo Duplantis had been looking to return to winning ways after a rare loss at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Gateshead but he didn’t stop at just securing victory, eventually clearing a world-leading height of 6.10m and attempting a world record of 6.19m.

Although the world record was not to be this time, the 21-year-old’s third-time clearance of 6.10m – a height only he and Sergey Bubka have ever achieved outdoors – was hugely impressive. It also added 19 centimetres to the two-year-old meeting record which had been set by two-time world champion Sam Kendricks, who handed Duplantis that defeat in Gateshead.

“Since Sam wasn’t going to be here and I was just coming off a loss to him, that was my way to get back at him, to take his meeting record away from him,” Duplantis said with a smile. “I haven’t checked my phone yet but I’d imagine I’ll have a text from him.”

On his Hengelo debut performance, he added: “I felt really motivated coming to this meet, I haven’t felt like that in a pretty long time – that I really had something to prove. Today I wanted to show everybody that I can still jump really high.”

Sweden’s Duplantis had opened his competition by easing over 5.50m first time and he also achieved 5.74m and 5.86m on his initial attempts. The competition was won at that point but the world silver medallist also managed a world-leading 5.92m on his first try and then soared over six metres on his second attempt.

Asian champion Ernest Obiena and Dutch record-holder Menno Vloon finished second and third respectively, with both athletes having cleared a best of 5.80m.

More meeting records fall

World leader Jasmine Camacho-Quinn now has three of the four fastest 100m hurdles times in the world so far this season as she followed her world lead of 12.32 set in Florida in April with a dominant 12.44 meeting record in Hengelo.

Starting fast, she powered away in the second half of the race to finish clear ahead of Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska, who ran a PB of 12.80.

The time was a pleasant surprise for Puerto Rico’s Camacho-Quinn, who hadn’t expected to run so fast having felt tired after arriving in Hengelo the day before.

“I just wanted to get a good race in,” said the two-time NCAA champion, who moved to equal seventh on the world all-time list with her run in Gainesville earlier this year.

The women’s 100m delivered another dominant performance, with Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith achieving her first sub-11.00 time of the season after a similarly strong run two weeks earlier in a very wet and windy Gateshead.

Conditions were more favourable this time and the world 200m champion clocked 10.92 (0.8m/s) to win ahead of Nigeria’s world and Olympic medallist Blessing Okagbare (11.02) and improve the meeting record of 10.94 which had been set by two-time world 200m gold medallist Dafne Schippers in 2015.

“It was nice to run without a gale-force wind!” said Asher-Smith. “I’m happy to have put together a good race and won today. I was hoping to go a little bit faster, but it will come when it wants to come.”

Home favourite Schippers was also racing and clocked 11.15 in fourth after winning an earlier race in 11.22. Britain’s Daryll Neita ran a PB of 11.04 in third.

The meeting record also fell in the women’s 400m hurdles, with Femke Bol securing victory on home soil. The 21-year-old European indoor 400m champion ran 54.33 in what was her first 400m hurdles race of the season, holding off Ukraine’s European silver medallist Anna Ryzhykova (54.59).

Jamaica’s Olympic champion Omar McLeod came close to Grant Holloway’s world 110m hurdles lead of 13.07, clocking 13.08 (1.7m/s) to win ahead of the USA’s Devon Allen (13.32), while the men’s 400m hurdles was won by Qatar’s world bronze medallist Abderrahman Samba in 48.56.

Wightman kicks to victory

A well-judged race by Britain’s Jake Wightman led to an impressive 1500m victory as the European and Commonwealth bronze medallist kicked off the final bend and looked strong down the home straight to win by almost a second. His time was 3:34.67 ahead of Kenya’s Abel Kipsang with 3:35.63.

There was also a British winner in the women’s 800m as Jemma Reekie front-ran her way to lead a GB top three, clocking 2:00.77 ahead of her training partner Laura Muir with 2:00.95 and Ellie Baker with 2:01.02. Uganda’s world champion Halimah Nakaayi was sixth in 2:02.52 in her first race since last August.

The men’s 800m was won by Poland’s European indoor silver medallist Mateusz Borkowski in 1:47.02 from France’s Benjamin Robert (1:47.15) and Britain’s Elliot Giles, who ran 1:47.22 in his first 800m race since his 1:43.63 indoors in Torun.

Back racing his specialist distance after recent 9.91 and 9.96 100m runs, the USA’s Fred Kerley won the men’s 400m in 44.74 ahead of Dutch duo Jochem Dobber (45.51) and Liemarvin Bonevacia (45.77). Victory in the women’s race was claimed by Belgium’s Cynthia Bolingo in 51.16 ahead of Britain’s Laviai Nielsen (51.44) and the Netherlands’ Lieke Klaver (51.46). Botswana’s Isaac Makwala ran 20.37 (0.6m/s) to win the 200m ahead of Italy’s Eseosa Desalu (20.63).

Perez maintains win streak

Cuba’s world discus champion Yaime Perez continued her unbeaten record this year with a 65.91m throw which secured her the win by 11 centimetres ahead of Croatia’s two-time Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic. Portugal’s Liliana Ca was third with a throw of 65.07m.

A close men’s long jump contest was won by France’s Augustin Bey as he leapt a PB of 8.16m, with South Africa’s Ruswahl Samaai second thanks to a leap of 8.10m. Australia’s Chris Mitrevski was third (8.04m) and Italy’s Filippo Randazzo fourth (8.01m). European indoor champion Maksim Nedasekau of Belarus won the high jump thanks to a 2.24m clearance.

Jess Whittington for World Athletics

Photos by FBK Games

*Subject to the usual ratification procedure

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The 40th edition of the FBK Games – a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting – in Hengelo looks set to be celebrated with fireworks on the track and field on Sunday (6), with talk of world and meeting records at the pre-event press conferences.

The Fanny Blankers-Koen Stadion is where Sifan Hassan set her European 10,000m record of 29:36.67 last October and the double world champion is looking to go even faster. That time moved the 28-year-old to fourth on the world all-time list and when asked if she might also be aiming for the world record on Sunday, Hassan replied: “Maybe, who knows! It could be.”

On whether she will set off on a pace targeting Almaz Ayana’s 29:17.45 from the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Hassan added: “I have to talk to my coach and manager. Sometimes I will change my mind the day before, if I feel good.”

The Dutch athlete has been training in Kenya and then Utah, USA, over the past few months, and believes she is in her best ever shape.

“When I look at my training, I have never been so good,” said Hassan, who confirmed she will be looking to double up – probably in the 5000m and 10,000m – at the Olympics in Tokyo. “I have never seen myself so good, but I don’t know how that will show in competition. My speed is still not as great as before but endurance – I have never seen myself as I am now. I want to run a PB but it is sometimes hard for athletes to say ‘I will run this’ because competition and training are not the same.”

Another athlete looking for a strong performance on home soil is Dafne Schippers, as the two-time world 200m gold medallist also builds towards Tokyo.

“I am feeling okay, this weekend is a very nice competition for me,” said the 28-year-old, who opened her 100m season with 11.38 at the adidas Boost Boston Games street meeting. “I always need a couple of competitions to go faster and faster, so I hope to go faster than my last competitions.”

She forms part of a strong 100m field alongside Britain’s world 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith and Nigeria’s world and Olympic medallist Blessing Okagbare.

“I always like to compete with the best in the world and it’s very special to have names like Dina and Blessing in a race like this,” added Schippers. “It’s great to have in the Netherlands. I like to compete with them.”

Asher-Smith excited for Hengelo return

Six years on from her first senior national 100m record in Hengelo, Asher-Smith returns to the Dutch city as a multiple global medallist looking to build on her opener at a wet and windy Gateshead.

The 25-year-old Briton was a dominant force at the Gateshead International Stadium two weeks ago, battling pouring rain and a -3.1m/s headwind to win the 100m in 11.35. There she finished clearly ahead of world leader Sha’Carri Richardson, multiple world medallist Marie-Josee Ta Lou, two-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Okagbare, and she has her sights set on another strong race in more favourable conditions.

“Hopefully it will be a little less windy, cold and wet!” she said. “I’m really excited to be running in Hengelo and over the 100m again. I don’t quite know what to expect in terms of, I don’t think what kind of number I would want from a race, I just try and go in and run the best race that I can, which was a very useful mindset to have in Gateshead because times were not happening that day!

“I have had a good winter and I feel good, so hopefully if the weather is kind to us it could be a really good Sunday.”

On returning to the scene of her 11.02 in 2015 – a British record she has since taken to 10.83 – Asher-Smith added: “I have really fond memories of Hengelo for two reasons. One, it was the first time I broke the British record. The record was 11.05 and I did 11.02 in 2015, so I have really fond memories of being in Hengelo for that reason.

“I also really enjoyed racing Dafne there. I think as a professional athlete it was my first experience of being in a race when a really big star is racing at home. It was just so nice to hear the crowd cheering like that. Even though I was a competitor in the race it’s still nice to see a crowd really cheer and get behind their home athlete.”

Although the crowd will be reduced this year because of Covid-19 restrictions, organisers will still be welcoming 1500 fans to the stadium to cheer on the world-class fields.

Duplantis ready for Hengelo debut

Also among those keen to make the most of the crowd support will be world pole vault record-holder Mondo Duplantis as he looks to return to winning ways after a rare loss in Gateshead.

Undefeated in 23 competitions, Sweden’s Duplantis was beaten by two-time world champion Sam Kendricks and the weather at the Diamond League meeting last month and although his US rival will not be competing in Hengelo, Duplantis could get one back by breaking the meeting record and Dutch all-comers’ record of 5.91m set by Kendricks in 2019.

“I definitely have a lot of motivation going into this competition because I’m coming off a loss right now and I want to get back to winning,” said the 21-year-old. “I want to show what I can do and try to put up something high. Sam’s not going to be there but I guess a way to get back at him would be to take his meeting record!”

On the significance of this event on his road to Tokyo, Duplantis added: “It’s super important because I have just four competitions left until the Olympics and every one is just as important as the other – figuring out my jump, the technique, my run, trying to get the rhythm and the timing of the jump down because I want everything to be perfect when it comes to the Olympics.”

Having fans in the stadium provides an added boost. “In Gateshead it was super amazing having the spectators right alongside us there,” he explained. “I haven’t had that kind of energy from the crowd in quite a while, since the indoor 2020 season. Of course, it’s going to be limited right now and they are not going to be able to have full capacity meets, but it’s really great to have people there watching you. It just brings an extra piece of motivation for you when you’re out there jumping in front of real people instead of just cameras.”

In Hengelo there will also be home stars for the fans to support and asked about Dutch record-holder Menno Vloon, who cleared 5.96m indoors in February, Duplantis replied: “He’s a real explosive vaulter. On any given day you never know what to expect from him.

“I know a lot of my competitors are capable of really high heights on any given day. Especially going into this meet in the Netherlands, on Menno’s home turf, I don’t see why he can’t go out there and jump something really high.”

Sandra Perkovic is another athlete hoping her event can provide a show in Hengelo. Croatia’s two-time Olympic champion takes on two other global winners in Cuba’s 2019 world gold medallist Yaime Perez and 2015 world champion Denia Caballero, and they will be joined by Portugal’s Liliana Ca and Melina Robert-Michon of France.

“Last year was really tough for all of us because we didn’t have the Olympics and we didn’t have any strong meets, so this year when I started to compete – first in Doha – and saw all the other girls, I was happy to finally be all together in one place chasing for that goal and the goal is to win,” said Perkovic.

“I expect a nice fight (on Sunday), especially with the Cubans and also the girl from Portugal and of course the silver medallist from Rio 2016, so it is going to be a very good competition for me.”

Like Asher-Smith, Perkovic has fond memories after achieving a milestone moment in Hengelo.

“In 2007 it was my first time in Hengelo, at the European Junior Championships, and that is the place I threw my junior national record which at that time was 55.42m,” she said. “I am happy to be back in this stadium and this place – 14 years later I am still here and still competing, so I am excited.”

Jess Whittington for World Athletics

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