Adel Mechaal shatters European indoor 3000m record in New York
European 5000m silver medallist and European indoor 3000m champion Adel Mechaal took the European indoor 3000m record apart at the New Balance Indoor GP in New York on Sunday (Feb 6).
Mechaal clocked 7:30.82 – a time which surpassed Spaniard Sergio Sánchez's previous European indoor record of 7:32.41 from 2010 –  in a race which saw the 31-year-old hit the front a third of the way through and such was his dominance there was never much doubt the rest of the field could catch him.
Extraordinary, given the race saw three national records and nine personal bests.
European Indoor Record 🔥
What a stunning 7:30.82 run from Adel Mechaal at @NBIndoorGP as the @atletismoRFEA athlete smashes Sergio Sánchez's 12-year-old 3000m EIR of 7:32.41 🇪🇸 #WorldIndoorTour https://t.co/JE4xUGkt5b pic.twitter.com/WhpFaDGKMt
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) February 6, 2022
Just some of those personal bests included the British trio of Andrew Butchart, Jake Wightman and Thomas Mortimer. Butchart finished second with 7:37.42, Wightman fourth with 7:37.81 and Mortimer in seventh with 7:40.97.
Mechaal was not the only Spanish athlete to set a national indoor record in New York though.
In the men's 800m, Mariano Garcia was victorious with a world leading 1:45.12. The previous Spanish indoor record over the distance was set by Antonio Manuel Reina who clocked 1:45.25 in 2002.
Spain's success at the New Balance GP didn't stop there as Esther Guerrero claimed victory in the women's 1500m with the cross country specialist clocking 4:11.87. Britain's Erin Wallace, who finished sixth, set a personal best with 4:13.96.
Elsewhere, men's 60m hurdles world record-holder Grant Holloway laid down a marker on his 2022 season opener with an ominous world leading 7.37 in New York.
Only six men, including Holloway, have run faster. Quite the statement as the American looks to bounce back from a surprising Olympic 110m hurdles silver medal in Tokyo.
"It wasn't the best race and I can go faster," Holloway told NBC. "I want to keep striving for 2022 and there are a lot of championships. We are a sport that calls for consistency whether that be athletics, tennis or cooking. I want to perform at the major championships."
Elsewhere in the sprints, Noah Lyles set a personal best of 6.56 in the men's 60m and you can expect some mouthwatering battles between him, Christian Coleman and Marcell Jacobs over the distance in 2022.
"That first 20m needed to be closer [at Millrose Games]," Lyles told NBC. "I wanted to make sure I improve that and I did that. When I'm a shoulder width away from the person in front I'm dangerous!"
The quickest women's 60m of 2022 so far saw US indoor 60m champion Mikiah Brisco ease through the line in 7.07 which included the scalp of Olympic 4x100m champion Briana Williams who finished second with 7.11.
"That's what I've been working on since my opening race of the season," Brisco told NBC. "It's about patience and sometimes I won't be the first out of the blocks first but it's just about getting through that finish line."
Jamaican success came in the women's 60m hurdles. Danielle Williams claimed victory with a personal best of 7.83 and she narrowly beat her fellow countrywoman Britany Anderson who also ran a personal best with 7.88.
Early on in the meet, Trayvon Bromell – the fastest man in the world over 100m in 2021 – won the men's 200m in 20.64. He has said that this will be his last indoor race of 2022 and is missing out on the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade to focus on the outdoor season.
The doesn't come as a surprise given Bromell, who has a world indoor sprint gold to his name, is yet to land the title of world outdoor 100m champion. With the World Championships in Oregon, you could think it's a wise decision for the 26-year-old American to just prepare for the summer.
In the women's 800m, Natoya Goule of Jamaica set a world lead over 800m with 1:59.62. American Olivia Baker and Briton Issy Boffey also set PBs in second a third with 2:00.33 and 2:01.37 respectively.
No US record but Gabby Thomas wins the women's 300m at @NBIndoorGP with 36.21 🇺🇸
Amy Hunt clocks 37.61 over the distance. #WorldIndoorTour
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) February 6, 2022
Meanwhile, there were hopes that Gabby Thomas and Amy Hunt could set respective US and British indoor 300m records but neither materialised as the American won in 36.21 while the Brit, who finished first in the women's 60m at the World Indoor Silver Tour meet in Manchester a fortnight ago, clocked 37.61.
Andrew Coscoran also starred in the Tommy Leonard Memorial Mile as the Irish 1500m champion set a personal best of 3:53.64. His fellow countryman Luke McCann also ran a personal best of 3:53.87 to finish third.
Lorraine Ugen started off 2022 in style as she won the women's long jump with 6.71m. The fact that she also jumped 6.70m, which would've also been good enough to take victory in the competition, shows that the consistency is there.
Fellow Briton Jazmin Sawyers finished fifth with a best of 6.34m.
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