US sprinter Allyson Felix (© Getty Images)
Organisers of the Hanzekovic Memorial have confirmed that Olympic gold medallists Allyson Felix, Sandra Perkovic and Sara Kolak will compete at the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Zagreb on 3 September.
Felix returned to action last month following the birth of her first child late last year. The nine-time Olympic gold medallist, who holds the Hanzekovic Memorial 200m meeting record, will contest the 400m at this year’s edition
All three medallists from the IAAF World Championships London 2017 will be reunited in Zagreb as Felix, the bronze medallist on that occasion, will line up against world champion Phyllis Francis and world silver medallist Salwa Eid Naser.
Two of Croatia’s biggest athletics stars will also be in Zagreb as Olympic champions Sandra Perkovic and Sara Kolak will contest the discus and javelin respectively.
“I want to break the meeting record,” says Perkovic, who set the existing mark of 70.83m in 2017. “The current record was set on the old circle, but now a new one has been laid.”
Similarly, Kolak will have one eye on the meeting record of 65.20m in the javelin, set by 2004 Olympic champion Osleidys Menendez.
On the eve of the Hanzekovic Memorial, the Ivan Ivancic Memorial – a shot put competition – will take place near Zagreb’s city fountains. Croatia’s world bronze medallist Stipe Zunic and national record-holder Filip Mihaljevic will take on four of this year’s seven 22-metre throwers.
Organisers for the IAAF
