There was far more to the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix at the weekend than just the world record success for Mo Farah, as heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson set her second British indoor record in two weeks in the long jump. Fellow long jumper Greg Rutherford improved his own indoor best, while there were also victories for Brits Jenny Meadows and Nigel Levine.
Johnson-Thompson ('KJ' to the Athletics' fraternity) is clearly in fantastic shape at present after her injury travails last season, as she followed up last week's British indoor high jump record, by setting new figures for the indoor long jump event in Birmingham.
As she battles with golden girl Jess Ennis-Hill for the position of leading British heptathlete, she clearly needs to eke out as many points from each of the individual disciplines as possible, and she seems to have two 'bankers' already to propel her towards what she hopes will be world gold come the summer. Her prodigious leap this time was 6.93m, which she achieved on her third jump of the competition, to win the event at the Grand Prix. Allied to her personal best for the hurdles indoors last week as well, she should be among the favourites for gold at the European indoors in Prague in March, where she is due to compete in the pentathlon event. The 22-year-old Liverpudlian was extremely unfortunate with injury last season, missing both the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and European (outdoors) Championships in Zurich, so clearly wants to make up for lost time.
Not to be outdone by a multi-eventer, Olympic long jump champion Rutherford focussed on his speciality at the Grand Prix and only just missed out on setting an indoor British record himself in winning the men's competition. As it was, he continued to exceed his previous best distance throughout the competition and finished on 8.17m, a world lead and just one agonising centimetre short of Chris Tomlinson's British indoor record.
He had originally intended to not compete at the Euros, but has had a late change of mind and will now lead the British team in Prague.
Jenny Meadows continued her own purple patch indoors when taking the women's 800m title in a modest two minutes 1.25 seconds. Nigel Levine also tasted success for the home nation, winning the 400m from the front in 46.43 seconds and dragging compatriot Jarryd Dunn to a quick time as well in the process.
Kim Collins continued to defy his aging body at 38 years of age in the men's 60m sprint, edging out the much younger Brit CJ Ujah in the process. Both men set fast times though, with Collins recording 6.50 seconds to finish just five hundredths ahead of Ujah.
