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Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Giles runs second-fastest indoor 800m, sets new British mark

Athletics - Copernicus Cup - Torun, Poland - February 17, 2021 Britain's Elliot Giles poses as he celebrates winning the men's 800m REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel

Elliot Giles ran the second-fastest indoor 800m of all time in Poland on Wednesday to break Sebastian Coe's long-standing British record.

Giles' time of one minute, 43.63 seconds took well over a second off Coe's national record of 1:44:91, which the double Olympic 1,500m champion set in 1983.

Fellow Brit Jamie Webb also ran inside the previous mark, finishing second in 1:44.54 at the meet in Torun.

Athletics - Copernicus Cup - Torun, Poland - February 17, 2021 Britain's Elliot Giles in action during the men's 800m REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel

"I'm still trying to process what even just happened," Giles, 26, said. "It really does feel like a blur.

"I can't believe I just ran 1:43 indoors. I can't put into words right now how it feels. I'm so overwhelmed by it all. It feels like I'm on cloud nine."

Giles' time is second only to Denmark's Wilson Kipketer, who set the world record of 1:42.67 at the 1997 World Indoor Championships.

Athletics - Copernicus Cup - Torun, Poland - February 17, 2021 Britain's Elliot Giles celebrates after winning the men's 800m REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel

(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

Athletics - Copernicus Cup - Torun, Poland - February 17, 2021 Britain's Elliot Giles celebrates after winning the men's 800m REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel
Athletics - Copernicus Cup - Torun, Poland - February 17, 2021 Britain's Elliot Giles poses as he celebrates winning the men's 800m REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel
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