Spikes22 Feb 2016


Notes from the Road

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Glasgow Indoor 60m 2016

With the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Tour concluded, here’s what we learned from this year’s new concept.

1. Double time for Genz?

Genzebe Dibaba is partial to breaking records, particularly in Sweden. At the Globengalan she smashed the indoor mile world record into 4:13.31 shaped pieces, wiping close to four seconds from the previous best mark. It makes her definite favourite for the 1500m crown in Portland, as if she wasn’t already.

The Ethiopian attempted a 1500m/5k double at the outdoor world champs last year, but looked baked in the longer event and only just held out for bronze. Will she have a crack at a 1500m/3k in Portland? She hasn’t yet made her intentions clear, but running 8:22.50 over the longer distance just two days after breaking that mile WR suggests she’s in the shape to do it.

4:13.32 was the unofficial time, we were just too fast – the official record is .31

2. Made for Meseret

Another Ethiopian will hope to dash any such bid. In her first track race since 2013, new mother Meseret Defar won the 3k at the Boston New Balance Grand Prix – her “second home” – in 8:30.83, ranking her second in the world.

The 32-year-old, who has won the indoor 3k world title four times, said she didn’t push as much as she could have done: “Now, after the race, I feel my confidence rising.” If Dibaba does double, she won’t have things all her own way.

3. Consistency is the mother of success

And the most consistent over the 60m hurdles is a mother. Nia Ali told us that having a son has given her an extra edge, and she proved that with three second place finishes on the Tour – going sub-8 seconds each time in Karlsruhe, Boston and Glasgow – which was enough to give her the overall win. It guarantees the American the chance to defend her global title in Portland.

4. Do the Dafne

This time last year, Dutch powerhouse Dafne Schippers looked handy over 60m on a continental level, bagging gold at the Euro indoor champs. Her strength back then was hauling herself to the front after ponderous starts. The world’s best won’t let you get away with that.

Having committed to the sprints (for now at least), it’s clear that the former multi-event athlete’s training is paying off: Schippers is now faster out the blocks and her drive phase is looking scary good. The 200m outdoor world champ is unbeaten this year, which included big wins on the Tour in Karslruhe and Glasgow, while her 7.00 at the Berlin ISTAF ranks her the fastest this year. It is also as fast as any woman has run since Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won world indoor gold in 6.98 two years ago. That is something to be ponderous about.

 
Dafne Schippers Glasgow Presser

 "Sprinting is easier on the mind"

5. Young enough to still do it

Schippers’ sprinting journey is still in its infancy, unlike that of the fastest man on this year’s Tour. Step forward 39-year-old Kim Collins, whose 6.51 in Glasgow has only been bettered by Asafa Powell this year (6.49 and 6.50 in Houston).

Collins’ tight hamstring in the final in Scotland allowed USA’s Mike Rodgers – second fastest on the Tour with a 6.52 in Karlsruhe – to take the win and scoop the overall title. The old man should recover in time for worlds, where the Tour's two best performers will hopefully get a chance to resume battle once more.

6. Year of the vault

Track and field’s most dizzying spectacle is also one of its most competitive events right now. The women’s pole vault was not a World Tour event this year, but that didn’t stop them pushing the envelope, non more than the USA’s Jenn Suhr, who set the indoor world record 5.03m in an upstate New York sports hall. She attempted to beat it at the Boston leg, but was unable to clear with the bar at 5.07m. Behind her in the season rankings, a host of women – a lot of them still fairly new to the professional scene – posted personal bests and national records; most recently Greece's Ekaterini Stefanidi, who went over a 4.90m NR at the Millrose Games. Suhr's appearance at worlds isn't yet confirmed, and any one of those girls could grab gold in Portland.

World record holder Renaud Lavillenie is ranked number one in the world with 6.02m, but world champion Shawn Barber has been the most consistent: he has five of the seven best marks this year and took the overall Tour win. But that doesn't make him unbeatable: the Canadian was second to Lav' in Karlsruhe and Sam Kendricks in Boston.

When the men's and women's fields assemble for the world champs on March 17, we could be in for some of the highest qualtiy vaulting ever witnessed.

7. When your autocorrect knows how to spell Kszczot...

...you know he's been winning A LOT. Top Pole Adam Kszczot proved the man to beat over the four-lap distance. The world outdoor 800m silver medallist from Beijing currently holds five of the eight fastest times run this indoor season. The 1:45.63 WL he clocked at the Globengalan in Stockholm was one of three victories on the Tour, seeing him take the overall win in dominant fashion.

8. More? More!

Never before has a Tour asked for more! While not everyone loves spreadsheets full of numbers, everyone loves a good story. To non-avid followers of athletics, a bunch of meets over half a dozen weekends has little coherent sense. The Tour concept is an attempt to give the indoor season a narrative, which is essential if more fans are to be drawn to the sport.

The four stops on this year’s Tour made it a whirlwind one. There are a ton of great indoor meets across the world that could make the mini-series a proper circuit, bringing together communities from across the globe through a shared love of the great indoors. Fingers crossed they’re brought into the fold next time round.

9. Athletics is the food of love

This year's indoor season is all about the Portland World Championships, and the Tour has done a good job of whetting our appetites. Luckily your tummies need only rumble for three weeks more before the biennial indoor athletics feast kicks off. Play on!