We’re underway at Glasgow 2019 – and what a first morning all those who packed the tribunes at the Emirates Arena were treated to.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson was the star turn, getting the British crowd on their feet with a record-equalling high jump leap and a shot-put personal best in the pentathlon.
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It was a good morning for the Norwegians too, Karsten Warholm winning his 400m heat and Jakob Ingebrigtsen defying a difficult schedule to win two races in the space of just over an hour.
Here’s a whizz through the best bits.
Magic moment
Johnson-Thompson put everything on the line as an impressive 1.96m leap saw her clear a height that equals a pentathlon Championship record.
You could tell how much it meant from the Liverpudlian’s reaction, keeping her head pressed into the mat in sheer elation as the Glasgow crowd rose to salute the sensational achievement.
The height was just 1cm short of the British indoor record, and Johnson-Thompson’s best jump since 1.98m at the 2016 Olympic Games.
For context, the second-highest jump was fellow Brit Niamh Emerson whose 1.87m dwarfed the rest of the field and helped her to third overall at the afternoon break.
Equally as impressive was the 26-year-old’s best-ever shot put fling that leaves her ahead of schedule for a points world record, setting up a tantalising evening session.
Laugh out loud
That had to be Gianmarco Tamberi’s highland fling.
The 2016 World Indoor champion arrived at this lunchtime’s high jump heats sporting a fetching tartan frock, draped around his waist as he paraded around the arena pre-event.
With Karstan Warholm also letting slip that he won’t leave Glasgow without wearing a kilt – as well as a gold medal presumably – the continent’s finest are getting into the spirit.
Field focus
It was a busy morning in the heart of the Emirates Arena with four of the five individual field events getting underway.
Serhii Nykyforov ruled the pit in the early long jump, outlasting European outdoor champion Miltiadis Tentoglou with a season’s best 8.03m.
Former European Under-20 champion Mesud Pezer came out top in the shot put, where reigning champion Konrad Bukowiecki failed to emerge from the qualifying stages.
And while Naomi Ogbeta missed out on the triple jump final by an agonising two centimetres, there’s plenty still to look forward to for the Brits in the field in the coming days.
What they said
Swiss Selina Buchel won her opening heat – but clearly enjoyed riding in the slipstream of Adelle Tracey, one of the first Brits to feel the backing of the home support: “It was fast for the first 400m and it was nice to be chasing a rabbit in the heat, having Adelle in front of me. I think she’s in good shape and she’ll be one of the contenders.”
Reigning European indoor champion Marcin Lewandowski isn’t losing any sleep worrying about the challenge posed by Norway’s teenage sensation Jakob Ingebrigtsen: “People always ask me what I am going to do to beat Jakob and I always say that is his problem not mine.”
And probably the happiest man in the house was the Giffnock goliath Neil Gourley, who qualified automatically for Sunday’s 1500m final: “It is special to run in front of a home crowd. I have been asked this question a couple of times and I have not found a good way to put it into words because it is so special.
“I have my family, teammates and friends here which never happens and I am doing this for them and all the people who support me.”
Best of Social
It’s all about tonight
All eyes will be on the final event of the day as Glasgow 2019 ambassador Laura Muir goes for the first stanza of a historic European indoor double-double on home track.
Johnson-Thompson can make it two golds inside 45 minutes if she holds on to claim pentathlon glory, with a world record also in the pipeline.
And we’ll also be treated to a third final when the men’s shot put comes to a head from 20:35.