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The legend of the world women's sprint of the Netherlands, Dafne Schippers, ran twice in Ostrava and won twice. The two-time world champion will undoubtedly try to win the third crystal trophy this year. She is the only one in the 200 m starting field has a personal record of under 22 seconds. American Sha´Carri Richardson ran 22.11 this year and should be her biggest rival.

The best triple jumpers of these days are coming to Ostrava Golden Spike meeting to attack the actual meeting record of 17.57m set by Christian Taylor. The double Olympic champion Taylor wants to test his shape before Tokyo and bronze from Doha 2019 Zango does not want to stay aside.

Ugandan long-distance runner and 2019 world champion in the 10,000 m. Joshua Cheptegei is the tenth man in history to hold the 5,000 m and 10,000 m world records concurrently, both set in 2020. Silver from the 2017 World Championships in London. He competes in Ostrava for the first time.

The world's best pole vaulter of today, Mondo Duplantis, will perform at the Ostrava Golden Spike for the first time in his career. He has already jumped 590 centimetres this season, but all fans believe that he will attack six meters in Ostrava. He has more than a great company here. It is the American record holder Sam Kendricks, who already knows the meeting in Ostrava very well.

The Olympic winner from London 2012 and world champion from Daegu 2011 Kirani James was one of the first athletes to present his goals for this year's Ostrava Golden Spike. The great 400 m runner is looking forward to the race, regardless of the rainy weather. His goal is to win.

Mondo Duplantis to debut in Czech Republic

The jubilee 60^th Ostrava Golden Spike on May 19 will offer the best that is currently in world athletics, the flying Armand Mondo Duplantis, world recorder inside and outside. He will have its premiere in the Czech Republic. He was named World Athlete of the Year by the International Federation last year. If the conditions are right, we could see the first six-meter jump in the history of the meeting.

World Athletics inaugurated its Continental Tour in 2020, a series designed to showcase the world's best one-day meetings outside the Diamond League. While its roll-out wasn't quite as envisioned when it was announced last November, the series nonetheless illustrated how the sport, its organisers and athletes managed to adapt to and overcome the tremendous challenges, road blocks and disruptions that the global Covid-19 pandemic threw in its path.

Impressive victories by Jacob Kiplimo, Ryan Crouser, Christian Taylor and Faith Kipyegon produced the key highlights at the Golden Spike, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on Tuesday (8).

Soon, he will celebrate his 20th birthday and he already belongs to the most shining stars of the athletic world. The Norwegian athlete Jakob Ingebrigsten was the last major name announced by the Ostrava Golden Spike organisers as the latest addition to the start lists. The double European champion from Berlin 2018 will run the 1500m.

To have the pole vaulters Sam Kendricks and Renaud Lavillenie at the meeting is a dream of the organizers of the biggest events in the world. In Ostrava, spectators will see them both on Tuesday. It will for sure be one of the tops of the Golden Spike. And moreover, Sam Kendricks celebrates his 28th birthday today.

The record of Golden Spike in shot-put is 22.27 metres. On Tuesday evening, this record held by Tomas Walsh from New Zealand will be attacked. Spectators will be able to watch performance of brilliant American shot-putter Ryan Crouser. He already threw as far as 22.91 metres this year. Also the record of 68.06 metres in discus throw held by Delis from Cuba can be a history tomorrow. Daniel Stahl from Sweden threw over 70 metres this year already.

Norwegian star Karsten Warholm wants to break the world record, which is still held by American Kevin Young from 1992 Olympics in Barcelona with time 46,78. Lately at a meeting in Stockholm, Warholm was only 0.9 seconds slower and set the new European record with time 46,87. He came to Ostrava in an extraordinary shape by thy private jet.

Double world champion Dafne Schippers from the Netherlands did not find a conqueror two years ago at Golden Spike. But it was her favourite 200m run. This time, untraditional 150m sprint is awaiting her, but she will for sure be one of the favourites. Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands broke the world record in 1 hour race last weekend. In Ostrava she will run 5000m and wants to break her personal record.

The main star of Ostrava Golden Spike, Karsten Warholm, arrived in a good mood at Ostrava Airport on Sunday afternoon. His discipline 400 m Hurdles, where he attacked the world record in the last starts, will be the last in the program of the 59th edition of the meeting at 20.35 h as the absolute climax of the race. "I feel in great shape. Everything is working so far, we had a great flight. The weather is also improving. I will try to improve my best again. I heard that there will also be spectators and that makes me even happier, "he said after his arrival. On Sunday, he wants to see the stadium, which he knows from the 2018 Continental Cup, but will have his debut at the meet. On Monday, he will have a training session and a meeting with the media.

One of the most followed persons in World of Athletics currently, Norwegian World champion at 400 m hurdles confirmed his participation at Ostrava Golden Spike on September 8. Recently in Stockholm he missed the World record of Kevin Young only by 0.09 and wants also in Ostrava Stadium attack the best possible time.

Meet director, legendary javelin thrower, Jan Zelezny announced latest top names for the 59^th edition of Ostrava Golden Spike (WACT Gold). On September 8 in shot put Olympic winner Ryan Crouser will test his special shape in Europe. Triple jump will bring the duel of current top three names, Christian Taylor against African record holder Fabrice Zango Hugues and another 18+ jumper Pedro Pablo Pichardo.

On Wednesday 19th August, two international athletic meetings took place, where it was interesting to follow the performances of the athletes expected in Ostrava. In Bydgoszcz, Poland, the Irena Szewinska Memorial, the 1500m was won by Jemma Reeki in 4:09.01. The men´s shot put victory went to Mihal Haratyk with 21.61m ahead of Filip Mihailevic (21.35). Swiss Ajla Del Ponte, who will run 150m in Ostrava, won the women´s 100m in meeting record 11.18. Matthew Ramsden of Australia preparing for 1500m in Ostrava won the 2000m in great 4:55.44, while Filip Sasínek (also scheduled for 1500m at GS) finished third improving the Czech record to 4:57.60. The world champion Sam Kendricks, who triumphed in the pole vault with 580cm, prepares his comeback to Ostrava in the role of the meeting record holder, when he jumped 593 last year.

One month before the 59^th Ostrava Golden Spike meeting, the organisers continue their hard work with the preparation of this year´s event, which will be the part of the new World Athletics Continental Tour Gold for the first time on 8th September 2020. The whole Tour starts on 11^th September in Turku, Finland, with the Paavo Nurmi Games.