XL Galan, Stockholm, Sweden, 22 February

Let's get things going for the XL Galan meeting in Stockholm tomorrow where dazzling Phillips Idowu is facing great Christian Olsson in a 'return' match on their clash in Birmingham on Saturday, where the reigning world champion powered to a sensational six-round leap of 17.57m.
Hannah England goes in an anticipated fast women's 1500m as Helen Clitheroe is involved in a loaded 3000m race featuring Meseret Defar, both looking for yet more PBs on the way, while Andie Osagie and U23 Muchtar Mohammed are entered in the 800m but in different heats.

Start-lists:
http://www.gegalan.se/eng/start/index.cfm?file=content.cfm&Sec_ID=1073

http://myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=1 ... art=sports

Should be on here tonight free tv streaming

There has been good news by the British athletes competing over in Stockholm so far.

New-look (in several aspects) Helen Clitheroe, who tops the European lists over 3000m, sharpened up ahead of Paris by means of a SB and UK-leading time of 4:06.86 for sixth in the women's 1500m, displaying a trademark lately aggressive run throughout, in what was easily the fastest race on the circuit this season.

Hannah England may have finished a couple of places down but still managed to grab a second indoor PB of 4:07.13 in as many races, within a stretch of only three days at that.

For good measure, U23 Muchtar Mohammed clocked a massive indoor PB of 1:48.90 for third in the second heat of the men's 800m after a very aggressive run of his own, spending most of the race effectively in the lead.

Excellent race from Andie Osagie who weighed his pace superbly round the first 400m and moved nicely up the field to finish strongly a close fourth in the men's main 800m heat, setting a big indoor PB of 1:46.59 in the process.

That wasn't far off his outdoor best (1:46.41) and I could say that he emerges as a serious medal contender at the Indoor Europeans in Paris, with a powerful kick at his command. Watch this space!

Richard Kiplagat led a Kenyan clean sweep through the line in 1:46.28.

Fabulous opener by Phillips out to 17.21m and in the lead from the off, missing well over 10cm on the take-off board. Looks like he could go further than he did in Birmingham on Saturday! And, judging by his hair-dyeing pattern, he doesn't feel on fire yet!!! *chuckle*

Oprea has taken the lead with 17.37m as Phillips fouls his second, looking good again.

That girl, Angelica Bengstton, is an absolute new sensation in the women's pole vault! If I saw well, she must have cleared a huge 4.63m at the second attempt! That's a massive world indoor U20 record, her third in a single competition (4.53 xxo, 4.58 o, 4.63 xo)!!! The previous one at 4.52m was set only two days ago by... her!

That was huge, but well off-side on the board, by Phillips...

Phillips gets the white flag this once, he waits a little and it's 17.48m going up the board!! He's again in the lead and looking bound to nail it!

There could be no race in this men's 60mh if it goes on like that... first, it was Aries Merritt going out disqualified... now they've made three false starts! But finally Petr Svoboda edges it in an unofficial 7.56 secs...

That fifth sort of looked bigger but it's measured at 17.38m... No worries, the consistency is there too and Phillips looks so assured!

There is no world record again for Kaki, and he didn't really look like he had it to be honest, to finish way outside in an unofficial 2:17.60 in the men's 1000m... Phillips didn't take his last attempt, if I'm not mistaken, but wins convincingly due to that fourth-round 17.48 though Oprea had a quite big foul in the end. Nice job!

Full results from Stockholm:
http://88.131.109.176/folksam/xlgalan/result.php

Forgot to mention that Brit-to-be Shana Cox won the B race of the women's 400m in Stockholm in 52.58 secs. But even more interesting is that there is a profile of hers on PowerOf10 stating "England" as her nation! Any latest development we haven't come aware of?

http://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=371335

Incidentally, Andie Osagie's new indoor PB of 1:46.59 in Stockholm saw him sweep up into sixth in the UK Indoor all-time list over 800m:

1.Sebastian Coe 1:44.91 (1983)
2.Tony Morrell 1:45.72 (1988)
3.Ikem Billy 1:46.22 (1989)
-Tom McKean 1:46.22 (1990, Scottish indoor record)
5.Brian Whittle 1:46.57 (1992)
6.Andie Osagie 1.46.59 (2011)

If I'm not mistaken, also, that has to be the fastest time by a Brit indoors over the distance since.... Brian Whittle's 1:46.57 in 1992!!

Likewise, Hannah England has consolidated her place as fifth fastest ever over 1500m indoors thanks to that 4:07.13 clocking yesterday. Incidentally, Stacey Smith's 4:07.42 in Birmingham on Saturday cataputled her into sixth fastest right behind England!

1.Kelly Holmes 4:02.66 (2003)
2.Hayley Tullett 4:05.63 (2004)
3.Helen Clitheroe 4:05.81 (2007)
4.Zola Budd 4:06.87 (1986)
5.Hannah England 4:07.13 (2011)
6.Stacey Smith 4:07.42 (2011)