Ewa Swoboda clocked 7.12 seconds for victory in her 60 meters heat to lead the list of finalists in the event at the 2022 ISTAF Indoor Düsseldorf – World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver level – meeting at the PSD Bank Dome in Germany on Sunday (20).
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Swoboda, who owns the world-leading mark with 7.00 seconds is in the form of her life and many eyes will be on the Polish national record holder to see how fast she will go in the final.
On Sunday in the heats, the 24-year-old got away to a promising start before gliding away from the rest of the field to win comfortably ahead of countrymate Pia Skrzyszowska, who posted a season’s best 7.27 secs for second place and earned a slot in the final.
READ MORE: Will Swoboda break 7.00 at the ISTAF Indoor Düsseldorf?
Heat two of the women’s 60m went to Tatjana Pinto of Germany, just ahead of her countrywoman Gina Lückenkemper. Pinto took the early advantage in the opening 30 meters and then held off the fast-finishing Lückenkemper to take the heat in a season’s best 7.28 against her teammate’s 7.29.
The final of the women’s 60m is slated for 10:35 am ET.
Nadine Visser opens season with heat winning run
European champion Nadine Visser of The Netherlands clocked 8.02 seconds to win her heat of the women’s 60m hurdles and leads all the qualifiers for the final later on Sunday.
Visser, who is finally making her season debut after a long winter of training, would have been happy to knock some of that preparation rust off in heats. She will be hoping to run a quicker time in the final, which is slated for 10:05 am ET.
Following Visser home in second place in heat 2 was Mette Graversgaard of Denmark in 8.08 seconds with Swiss hurdler Noemi Zbären matching her personal best with 8.10 secs for third and also earned a spot in the final.
The other heat was won by Poland’s Klaudia Siciarz, who clocked a season’s best equalling time of 8.11 secs, the same time ran by Finland’s Reetta Hurske, while Helena Jiranová of the Czech Republic earned the last spot in the final with 8.17 seconds.
