European Athletics – (EAA) – News – 2011 European leads for Ernst and Schwanitz in Leipzig

Sprinter Sebastian Ernst provided the highlight of the second day of the German indoor championships in Leipzig when he sped to a European-leading 200m time of 20.42 on Sunday.

It was also a national indoor record for the 26-year-old, who won the 2003 European Athletics Junior Championships title over the same distance, and despite the 200m not being contested any longer at the European Athletics Indoor Championships, it will be a big boost to his confidence when the summer starts.

His Leipzig run gives an indication that his long-time outdoor best of 20.36, which he clocked in the quarter-finals at the 2004 Olympic Games, is due for some revision. The fastest European outdoors last year was France’s 2010 European Athlete of the Year Christophe Lemaitre with 20.16.

In a separate race in Leipzig, Alexander Kosenkow also ran a swift 20.67.

Thomas Schneider posted the fourth fastest time in Europe over 400m when he won in 46.19 while Soren Ludolph was a surprise 800m winner in 1:48.95.

The 2009 World Championships high jump bronze medallist Raul Spank also confirmed his good recent form by going over 2.30m.

In women events on Sunday, Carolin Nytra returned after a slight injury had sidelined her for a couple of weeks and showed no ill-effects as she won the 60m hurdles in 7.93.

In the absence of the sick Silke Spiegelburg, the 2010 European Athletics Championships pole vault bronze medallist Lisa Ryzih went over a championship record and indoor personal best height of 4.65m. Second was Kristina Gadschiew with 4.60m while Martina Strutz was third with 4.55m

Michelle Weitzel improved to a personal best of 6.61m the win the long jump.

On Saturday, Christina Schwanitz sent the shot out to 18.87m, the best distance by a European thrower this year.

The defending European indoor long jump champion Sebastian Bayer, and European record holder after his fantastic 8.71m at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Torino two year ago, took his specialist event with 8.02m.

Katja Demut, the best women’s triple jumper in the world this year, fulfilled her role as favourite and won her event with meeting record 14.20m.

However, there was an upset in the men’s shot put when the 2009 European Athletics Junior Championships gold medallist David Storl bounced back from a recent illness to win with 20.70m and just edge out last summer’s European Athletics Championships bronze medallist Ralf Bartels, who was second with 20.68m. Marco Schmidt took third place with 20.41m.

In the women’s 60m on Saturday, the reigning European 100m champion Verena Sailer in 7.28, after having gone even faster in her semi-final with 7.25.

Christian Blum improved with every race in the men’s 60m, starting with 6.67 in the heats, 6.65 in the semi-finals, and he then finished off with a win in 6.63, a season’s best and the equal-fourth fastest European time of the year to show he is rounding into form at the right time ahead of next weekend’s European Athletics Indoor Championships.

The 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships will be held in Paris at the Palais Omnisport Paris-Bercy from 4-6 March.

Pole vaulter Malte Mohr, one of the German team’s best bets for a medal in the French capital, was the only man over 5.65m while in second place was the evergreen 38-year-old Tim Lobinger, the 1998 and 2002 European Athletics Indoor Championships gold medallist clearing 5.60m.

In the 3000m walk, an event no longer contested at continental and global championships, Sabine Krantz achieved the 2011 world-leading time of 12:18.12 with Melanie Seeger second in 12:31.43.