8:23.72 3000m World indoor record for Defar in Stuttgart

Stuttgart, Germany – Even though the Sparkassen Cup meeting was under new management this winter, it was the “same procedure as every year”, with a World record, plus twelve world leading times posted in ten events on Saturday evening in Stuttgart’s Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle. After twenty successful editions under the direction of Fredy Schäfer, the role of impresario tonight moved into the hands of former European Decathlon champion Alain Blondel. But, as the native French Blondel would agree, it was simply “la même chose”.

Defar lives up to billing