World record holders Armand Duplantis, Ryan Crouser and Lamecha Girma, world champion Kristjan Ceh and Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho Quinn lead the line-up at the 62nd edition of the Golden Spike in Ostrava at the Metzky Stadium.
Men’s pole vault:
Armand Mondo Duplantis returns to the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava where he won in 2021 with 5.90m. Since then he has improved the world record to 6.22m in Clermont Ferrand, won the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, and become indoor and outdoor world champion.
Duplantis is aiming to break the meeting record of 5.93m set by his friend and rival Sam Kendricks. The Ostrava Golden Spike meeting could see the first six-metres performance of this meeting.
Duplantis won every competition this season indoors and outdoors and is looking to extend his winning streak. He vaulted 5.91m in Los Angeles, 6.11m in Hengelo and 6.01m in Oslo in his first three appearances of the outdoor season.
Armand Duplantis: “I am happy to come back to Ostrava after 2021. I really like the stadium and the nice atmosphere, which makes me motivated. Let’s get that meeting record and possibly attack 6 metres. The 2023 season is very important for me with the World Championships and I want to make sure I enjoy every competition”.
Duplantis will take on Ernest John Obiena, who cleared the 6 metres barrier for the first time in his career in Bergen. Obiena became the first athlete from the Philippines to win a medal with his bronze in Eugene with 5.94m and beat Duplantis at the Brussels Diamond League meeting with 5.91m.
The line-up also features Emmanouil Karalis from Greece, European indoor silver medallist in Istanbul and second at last weekend’s European Team Championships in Chorzow with 5.80m, Piotr Lisek from Poland, three-time world outdoor medallist and fourth at the European Team Championships in Chorzow with 5.80m, Kurtis Marshall from Australia, two-time Commonwealth Games champion in 2018 and 2022, Pal Haugen Lillefosse from Norway, European bronze medallist in Munich, and Thibaut Collet from France, third at the European Team Championships in Chorzow with 5.80m.
Men’s shot put:
Reigning Olympic and world champion Ryan Crouser returns to Ostrava for the third time in his career. He finished fourth in 2018 on his debut at this meeting and won in 2020 with a meeting record of 22.43m.
Crouser improved his own world record by 19m to 23.56m at the Los Angeles Grand Prix. He threw over the 23 metres barrier seven…
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