Big stars have been confirmed to participate in the Ostrava Golden Spike on Tuesday (24 June), the ninth stop in this season’s World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series.
Among them are Olympic and world champions across various disciplines, promising one of the most competitive meetings of the year.
Headlining the action is Armand “Mondo” Duplantis. He returns to a venue where he cleared 6.12m in 2023, one of his three career Golden Spike victories. The Swedish pole vault phenom has won eight of nine competitions this year, with all but one featuring vaults of 6.05m or higher.
Joining him in the pole vault field are top contenders like Emmanouil Karalis, Kurtis Marschall, Sondre Guttormsen, and Austin Miller.
Femke Bol, the reigning world champion in the 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay, will open her 400m flat season. The Dutch star, who holds the world indoor 400m record at 49.17 and has an outdoor best of 49.44, will face a strong lineup featuring Salwa Eid Naser, Natalia Bukowiecka, Lynna Irby-Jackson, and Martina Weil.
In the javelin, India’s world champion Neeraj Chopra looks for back-to-back victories after a win in Paris. He’s aiming to build on his national record of 90.23m set in Doha. On the women’s side, Japan’s Olympic and world champion Haruka Kitaguchi will be up against world leader Adriana Vilagos and U20 record-holder Yan Ziyi.
Holloway to Seek Redemption
The sprint hurdles will see three-time world 110m hurdles champion Grant Holloway continue his season. He suffered a defeat at Paris Diamond League finishing fifth. He wil be against U.S. compatriot Dylan Beard, who claimed recent wins in Turku and Zagreb. Brazil’s Matheus Lima is set for action in the 400m hurdles.
The 100m hurdles promises a thrilling clash between Nigeria’s world record-holder Tobi Amusan and U.S. Olympic finalist Alaysha Johnson. In the women’s 100m flat, Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith leads the field against Cambrea Sturgis, Zoe Hobbs, and Amy Hunt.
Aussie sprint sensation Gout Gout will make his European pro debut in the 200m. The 17-year-old clocked a blistering 20.04 last December, breaking the Oceanian record and surpassing Usain Bolt’s world age-16 best. He’ll face Cuba’s Reynier Mena, a Diamond League winner in Oslo and Stockholm.
Middle-distance fans will be watching Kenya’s 18-year-old Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech, who recently set a stunning world U20 record of 3:27.72 in Paris. He’ll line up in Ostrava against indoor world champion Josh Hoey, world bronze medallist Narve Gilje Nordås, and Portugal’s Isaac Nader.
Other notable matchups include Jonas Phijffers and Christopher Morales-Williams in the men’s 400m. Australia’s Peter Bol races Samuel Chapple in the 800m. South Africa’s world indoor champion Prudence Sekgodiso leads the women’s 800m field.
In the field events, Czech shot put favorite Tomas Stanek will battle world leader Leonardo Fabbri and fellow Italian Zane Weir. The high jump features local athlete Jan Stefela against Italy’s Stefano Sottile and Marco Fassinotti. Slovenia’s world indoor silver medallist Tina Šutej tops the women’s pole vault entry list.
With elite talent across the board and packed crowds expected at the Mestsky Stadion, Ostrava is set for another memorable night of world-class athletics.
