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Global gold medallists Molly Caudery and Chase Jackson capped off the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold season in style, securing overall tour titles with victories at the final meeting in Madrid on Friday.
Luxembourg’s Patrizia van der Weken, Cuba’s Leyanis Perez, and USA’s Brian Faust also claimed tour top spots with standout performances at the Gallur track, while Spain’s Enrique Llopis thrilled home fans by twice equaling the national record in the men’s 60m hurdles.
PUNCH Online reports that the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold is the highest level of the World Athletics Indoor Tour, a series of premier indoor track and field competitions.
It features top-tier events across different countries, offering world-class athletes the opportunity to compete in high-profile indoor meets.
The scoring disciplines on the World Indoor Tour rotate annually, and this year’s Madrid stop featured the women’s 60m, 800m, 3000m, pole vault, triple jump, and shot put, as well as the men’s 400m, 1500m, and 60m hurdles, details on the World Athletics website on Thursday revealed this.
Each athlete’s best three results throughout the season contributed to their overall point score, making every competition crucial.
Caudery secures pole vault crown
British record-holder Caudery clinched her title with a commanding display, clearing a season’s best of 4.85m—just one centimetre shy of her indoor personal best—on her third attempt.
The 24-year-old overcame Slovenia’s 2022 world indoor bronze medallist Tina Sutej, who bowed out at 4.75m, confirming Caudery as the winner.
“I’m really happy with that, it was such a fun competition,” said Caudery. “I know that I am in good shape, so I’m very excited for the next few weeks.”
The defending world indoor champion has been managing minor injuries throughout the season but was finally able to compete at full strength.
“This is the first day that I was really healthy out there and could express myself, which is what I’ve not been able to do. So, I’m feeling back to my old self, which is nice,” she added.
Jackson triumphs
In the women’s shot put, USA’s two-time world champion Chase Jackson battled illness but still managed to deliver a winning throw of 19.48m, edging out Canada’s world indoor gold medallist Sarah Mitton by 11 centimetres.
Jackson’s victory in Madrid secured her a third set of full points after wins in Astana and Torun, ultimately sealing the tour title ahead of Mitton, who won in Karlsruhe and placed third in Torun.
Perez, and van der Weken shine in triple jump, sprint events
Cuba’s world indoor silver medallist Leyanis Perez dominated the women’s triple jump, leaping 14.42m to beat Finland’s Senni Salminen (13.99m) and Slovenia’s European finalist Neja Filipic (13.87m), who had also been in contention for the tour title.
Luxembourg’s Patrizia van der Weken, who had been a model of consistency throughout the season, clinched the women’s 60m tour title with victory in Madrid.
The world indoor finalist, who set a national record of 7.07 in January and had already won in Ostrava and Karlsruhe, crossed the line in 7.09—the joint third-fastest time of her career.
She edged out Great Britain’s Bianca Williams, who clocked a personal best of 7.16, and Portugal’s Lorene Bazolo, who also ran a personal best of 7.17. Van der Weken had earlier won her heat in 7.15, further cementing her dominance in the event.
Faust dominates men’s 400m
USA’s Brian Faust delivered a commanding performance in the men’s 400m, storming to victory in 45.74 and securing the overall World Indoor Tour championship.
The 26-year-old, who finished fourth at the US Indoor Championships last weekend, had previously won in Karlsruhe and placed third in Belgrade.
His closest challenger, Hungary’s Attila Molnar, withdrew from Madrid due to illness, clearing Faust’s path to the title.
Spain’s Oscar Husillos finished second in 46.31, narrowly ahead of compatriot Iñaki Canal, who clocked 46.35.
Llopis matches national record in 60m hurdles
Spain’s Enrique Llopis gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about as he equalled the Spanish record of 7.48 in both the heats and final of the men’s 60m hurdles, matching the mark he shares with Orlando Ortega.
His victory in Madrid came ahead of France’s Wilhem Belocian, whose runner-up finish in 7.51 was enough to secure the overall tour title, narrowly beating USA’s Dylan Beard, who finished fourth in the race in 7.54.
Middle-distance highlights
Ethiopia’s Melese Nberet surged to victory in the men’s 1500m, celebrating as he crossed the finish line in 3:38.22, ahead of Spain’s Pol Oriach (3:39.03) and Luxembourg’s Charles Grethen (3:39.32). Despite finishing seventh in Madrid, Sweden’s Samuel Pihlstrom had already secured the overall tour title.
Spain’s Adrian Ben claimed his first 800m win of the season with an indoor personal best of 1:45.39, holding off Kenya’s Jonah Koech (1:45.78) and Great Britain’s Callum Dodds, who clocked a personal best of 1:45.86.
In the women’s 800m, Slovenia’s Anita Horvat, the 2023 European indoor silver medallist, secured victory with an indoor PB of 2:00.35.
Ethiopia’s Worknesh Mesele attempted a late challenge but had to settle for second, while France’s Agathe Guillemot took third in an indoor PB of 2:00.66.
Ethiopia’s Birke Haylom capped off the evening with a dominant performance in the women’s 3000m, winning in 8:38.45—more than 12 seconds ahead of compatriot Lomi Muleta (8:50.78).
Haylom had previously set a world U20 indoor record of 8:25.37 in Lievin earlier in the season.
With record-breaking performances, fierce battles for tour titles, and moments of individual brilliance, the final World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Madrid provided a fitting climax to a thrilling season.
As athletes turn their focus to the upcoming European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn and the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, their performances in Madrid have set the stage for even greater achievements on the global stage.
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