Reekie sees off worldclass field

Jemma Reekie turned in another stunning performance at the Meeting Haut-defrance in Lievin, the sixth and penultimate event in the World Indoor Tour.

The Kilbarchan runner followed the two pacemakers over 800 metres and, as the opposition fell by the wayside, was out on her own over the final 300 to clock a winning two minutes 00.34 seconds.

The performance was all the more commendable as the opposition included Uganda’s world champion Halima Nakaayi, second in 2:01.96, Ethiopia’s Habitam Alemu, who was third in 2:02.04, while Switzerland’s double European indoor champion Selina Buchel could only place eighth.

Since moving to coach Andy Young in 2015, 21-year-old Reekie has been best known as Laura Muir’s talented younger training partner but over the last few weeks that description has shifted dramatically.

The Scot has broken three records in the past month, setting a UK indoor 800m record in Glasgow, breaking Muir’s indoor mile record in New York and Muir’s UK Indoor 1500m record in the same race.

Reekie also won the 1,500m at the Muller Indoor Grand Prix in Glasgow last Saturday.

Reekie said: “It doesn’t happen overnight and there’s a lot of hard work. I am 21-yearsold and I am a developing athlete and I am pushing myself to the absolute limits and will just let my legs do the talking. I put it all down to Andy’s training and the support as well.”

Armand Duplantis, who has twice improved the world pole vault mark in a week, had the bar raised to a world record 6.19m .

He failed in three attempts, though,having to settle for victory at 6.07 metres.

Gina Bass (Gambia) won the women’s 60m in 7.11 seconds, a hundredth ahead of Michelle Ahoure (Ivory Coast). UK Indoor 60m record holder Asha Philip finished fourth in 7.27.

Ronnie Baker (USA), winner of the men’s 60m in Glasgow on Saturday, blasted to a winning 6.44 seconds, breaking Bruny Surin’s 20-year old meeting record while Ethiopia’s Samuel Tefera ran away with the men’s 1500m in a world lead 3:35.54.