How did our European Indoor men's predictions turn out and were the results relevant to the Olympics? Steve Smythe looks at the stats

Below, event by event, we show our predictions and compare the actual results and add further speculation with the next major championships.

These are the men's events but for the women's events CLICK here.

60m

Lamont Marcell Jacobs was even better than we anticipated and won it easily (the biggest margin in championships history of the event) in a world leading time. In this form he should be much quicker than his current outdoor best (10.03 at 100m) and has every chance of making the final in Tokyo.

Prediction: 1 Jacobs (ITA) 6.51; 2 Kranz (GER); 3 Olszewski (POL)
Actual: 1 Jacobs 6.47; 2 Kranz 6.60; 3 Volko 6.61 (6 Olszewski 6.66 (6.60 SF)

400m

We overestimated Maslak's form and his run of six championship wins in World and European Indoor Championships came to an end and he failed to even make the final.

Oscar Husillos, who thought he had won the world indoors in 2018, but lost out due to a lane infringement, made no mistake here but in terms of world strength, it's hard to see any of these Europeans making the Olympic final.

Prediction: 1 Maslak (CZE) 45.96; 2 Bonevacia (NED); 3 Husillos (ESP)
Actual: 1 Husillos (ESP) 46.22; 2 van Diepen (NED) 46.25; 3 Bonevacia (NED) 46.30 (Maslak 4th sf 46.70)

800m

A poor prediction as we chose the third best Pole with neither of the first two even mentioned but in our defence Patryk Dobek was only ranked 21st on time.

The 2015 world Championships 400m hurdle finalist might not even run the 800m in Tokyo but he does have the raw speed to be a factor at two-laps but the increased endurance might be a help in his specialist event. Both the other medallists Mateusz Borkowski and Jamie Webb could be in the Tokyo final as could even the non medallists in this race, even though Europe's fastest Elliot Giles wasn't even in Poland.

Prediction: 1 Kszczot (POL) 1:45.50; 2 Webb (GBR); 3 Kramer (SWE)
Actual: 1 Dobek (POL) 1:46.81; 2 Borkowski (POL) 1:46.90; 3 Webb (GBR) 1:46.95

1500m

Any suspected home advantage we thought the Poles might have did not happen across the board though the judges (and Jakob Ingebrigtsen's poor tactics) at one stage did give us a temporary correct winner!

The Norwegian was far too strong this time for the wily Pole and has every chance of repeating victory out in Japan but would have much faster and harder than he did in Poland. Neil Gourley looked great in his semi final but ran a poor tactical race in the final and faded.

Prediction: 1 Lewandowski (POL) 3:34.65; 2 J Ingebrigtsen (NOR); 3 N Gourley (GBR)
Actual: 1 J Ingebrigtsen (NOR) 3:37.56; 2 Lewandowski 3:38.06; 3 Gomez (ESP) 3:38.47 (Gourley 12th 3:45.99 (3:39.84 sf)

3000m

No prizes for guessing the winner here but the time was very close. Second and third did not even toe the line after doing the 1500m.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen does not have blazing 800m speed and many believe after his very good 4.9km in Doha, that two years stronger he actually may have more chance of winning at 5000m than he does at 1500m, especially with his 2:21.51 final kilometre here and looking like he had plenty in hand.

Prediction: 1 J Ingebrigtsen (NOR) 7:47.88; 2 Lewandowski (POL) 3 F Ingebrigtsen (NOR)
Actual: 1 J Ingebrigtsen (NOR) 7:48.20; 2 Kimeli (BEL) 7:49.41; 3 Mechaal (ESP) 7:49.47 (Lewandowski and F Ingebrigtsen dnq)

60m hurdles

The guessed time was exact and we were only a hundredth of a second out from being right with the top two but Belocian just about maintained his European domination on the watch in 2021.

On this form both should be in the final in Tokyo but it is still hard to see them challenging Grant Holloway!

Prediction: 1 Pozzi (GBR)I 7.42; 2 Belocian (FRA); 3 Manga (FRA)
Actual: 1 Belocian (FRA) 7.42; 2 Pozzi (GBR) 7.43; 3 Dal Molin (ITA) 7.56 (5 Manga 7.63 (7.62 sf))

4x400m

But for the covid-related withdrawal of Poland we might have got this one right in full but the way the inspired British team ran with two of the three fastest splits, the medallists would have probably remained the same, Poles or not. The Netherlands, with no previous 4x400m pedigree, look like they should easily make the final in Tokyo and a full British squad should be there too.

Prediction: 1 NED 3:05.66; 2 CZE; 3 POL
Actual: 1 NED 3:06.06; 2 CZE 3:06.54; 3 GBR 3:06.70 (POL DNR)

High jump

We did get Gianmarco Tamberi's performance right but the other joint favourite Maksim Nedosekov proved the better on the day and both will have every chance of winning gold in Tokyo.

Prediction: 1 Tamberi (ITA) 2.35; 2 Nedosekov (BLR); 3 Przybylko (GER)
Actual: 1 Nedosekov (BLR) 2.37; 2 Tamberi (ITA) 2.35; 3 Carmoy (BEL) 2.26

Pole vault

This was the only prediction where we had the three names in the right order though of course we had the wrong Lavillenie but safe to say that no one really expected the younger one to medal.
Mondo Duplantis winning was no surprise or even his world record attempt and he will be a huge favourite out in Japan.

Prediction: 1 Duplantis (SWE) 6.00; 2 R Lavillenie (FRA); 3 Lisek (POL)
Actual: 1 Duplantis (SWE) 6.05; 2 V Lavillenie (FRA) 5.80; 3 Lisek (POL) 5.80

Long jump

This was a much higher standard than predicted with a world lead for Militiadis Tentóglou but still only gaining a narrow win over Thobias Montler and despite the high quality outside Europe, every chance of a medal in the Olympics.

Prediction: 1 Tentóglou (GRE) 8.25; 2 Montler (SWE); 3 Bitan (ROM)
Actual: 1 Tentóglou (GRE) 8.35; 2 Montler (SWE) 8.31; 3 Pulli FIN 8.24 (8 Bitan 7.78)

Triple jump

There was little doubt who would win and Pedro Pichardo was a class apart but on this form is probably only looking at a top six place at best out in Japan.

Prediction: 1 Pichardo (POR) 17.28; 2 Raffin (FRA); 3 Hess (GER)
Actual: 1 Pichardo (POR) 17.30; 2 Copello (AZE) 17.04; 3 Hess 17.01 (14q Raffin 15.29)

Shot put

This looked a two-way contest for gold but it was the Czech Thomas Stanek who came out on top rather than the home favourite, who like much of the Polish team, was not at their inspired best. Such is the standard of the world shot scene, the Europeans will need to throw much further to even be in with a shout for a minor medal.

Prediction: 1 Haratyk (POL) 21.55; 2 Stanek (CZE); 3 Bukowiecki (POL)
Actual: 1 Stanek (CZE) 21.62; 2 Haratyk (POL) 21.47; 3 Mihaljevic (CRO) 21.31 (Bukowiecki DNQ)

Heptathlon

Though he trailed for the first three events, there was little doubt as to who would win and Kevin Mayer's world lead confirmed who will be the big favourite in Tokyo. We might have got the order right had promising Simon Ehammer not no-heighted in the pole vault while in a clear second position.

Prediction: 1 Mayer (FRA) 6450; 2 Ehammer (SUI); 3 Urena (ESP)
Actual: 1 Meyer (FRA) 6392; 2 Urena (ESP) 6158; 3 Wiesiolek (POL) 6133

For the women's events CLICK HERE 

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