Vetter against home olympic medalists

Czech Olympic medalists, Jakub Vadlejch and Vítězslav Veselý, will face last year winner Johannes Vetter. The world champion 2017 and bronze medalist from the World Championships 2019 showed 94.20 in Vítkovice in 2021 and got close to the meeting record which is held by the director of Golden Spike Jan Železný 94.64 from 1996. Vetter is with his maximum of 97.76 also closest to the Železný's world record 98.48. Ostrava will be his third start in the 2022 season.

"I am really looking forward to compete again in Ostrava. Last year I had a phenomenal competition there and of course I want to do the same this year.” said Vetter.

„The javelin is traditionally one of the strongest events of the Golden Spike and this year  will not be different. Vetter, Vadlejch and Veselý I believe will show us performances by which will be remembered in the world of athletics long after the Golden Spike this year.“ said Jan Železný from a training camp in Turkey.

The last world champions in shot put

In the shot put sector, the winners of the last three world championships will come. Tom Walsh from New Zealand won in 2017 and American Joe Kovacs in 2015 and 2019. Their PB's are great, 22.90 and 22.91. At the Tokyo Olympics, Kovacs was silver medalist and Walsh was bronze medalist. Ryan Crouser's 22.43 meeting record will be in jeopardy, also because Kovacs leads the current world lists with a performance of 22.46. Czech record holder Tomáš Staněk will traditionally have strong competition at the Golden Spike".

„Just to make sure from me to say how excited I am back competing in this year in Ostrava, Golden Spike. It´s been few years since I´ve competed here and it´s always been one of my favourite meets. I am really looking forward to coming over to the Czech republic and putting on the good show for the fans. See you there,“ said Walsh.

„I am excited to return to the Ostrava Golden Spike where I know they love the big throws. This is a key competition in my building up to the World Championships. I know Ostrava will bring great competition and atmosphere,“ said Kovacs.

Olympic winner in long jump

Olympic winner, Greek long jumper, Miltiadis Tentoglou likes to come to Ostrava, either in the summer or for an indoor meeting. It is at the summer Golden Spike that he will compete as Olympic winner and also a fresh indoor world champion from Belgrade, where he jumped an excellent 855. He has already jumped 860 outside and he is also the reigning European indoor and outdoor champion. Miltiadis has been two times at Golden Spike, but he didn't win, at least for now.

"After great Indoor season Im already looking forward to the summer with two highlights, World and European Championships. To be in top shape there and attack the top positions is the main goal. On my way for that the first international competition outside of my area will be Ostrava Golden Spike. Also in the indoor season I started my season in Ostrava and it ended well. At Golden Spike it will be my third participation after fifth in 2018 and second in 2019. My training goes well so I should be able to deliver good result already end of May." said Tentoglou. For the Czech number one Radek Juška, it will be a great confrontation with top jumpers.

Jiranová against the world's elite

After five years, the women's hurdle sprint returns to the main program. The 27-year-old Czech hurdler Helena Jiranová is the reason as she improved to 8.03 in the indoor season and should approach the 13-seconds barrier in the summer (so far she has 13.19 from last year). In Czech history, only Lucie Škrobáková got under 13 with a time of 12.73 in 2009. For example, the standard for the European Championships in Munich 12.93 will also be a challenge for Jiranová. Strong competition should help her in these ambitions. The participation was confirmed by the indoor world champion from Belgrade Cyrena Samba-Mayel from France (12.73) and the bronze medalist from the Tokyo Olympics Jamaican Megan Tapper (12.53).

Gianmarco Tamberi, Femke Bol, Christine Mboma and Tina Šutej have already been announced.

Advance ticket sales continue and the organizers and the best athletes in the world are looking forward to the full stands on May 31 from 5 pm. We can be curious how many future Oregon22 world champions will stand at the start of the Golden Spike Ostrava.  When in 2021, 13 later individual Olympic medalists competed in Ostrava. As in 2021, all performances can be watched by spectators in 140 countries around the world.

In addition to working on the details of the Golden Spike Ostrava and finalizing its preparations, the regional rounds of the Chocolate Spike are already running in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Zdeněk Stromšík took part in the role of ambassador in Vyškov, Jiří Mužík in Blansko and Matúš Bubeník, an Olympian in high jump in Olomouc. You can find the full program of regional rounds at www.cokoladovatretra.cz. The next one will be on May 3 in Břeclav with the legendary Šárka Kašpárková as ambassador.