Tina Sutej in Ostrava (© Anna Spundova)
Tina Sutej will take on Angelica Moser while Ewa Swoboda will target a meeting record when the Czech Indoor Gala returns as part of the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold in Ostrava on 30 January.
Slovenia's Sutej is the meeting record-holder in the women’s pole vault, having cleared a national record of 4.82m to win her third title in Ostrava earlier this year. That followed her victories in the Czech city in 2020 and 2021.
The world indoor bronze medallist will be on the hunt for another win when she competes at the event for the fifth time. But looking to deny her will be Switzerland’s Moser, who equalled her PB with a 4.75m clearance at the World Championships in Budapest to place fifth, one spot behind Sutej. Moser claimed the European indoor title in 2021 and finished fourth at the World Indoor Championships the following year.
They will be joined in Ostrava by local favourite Amalie Svabikova, who has not missed the Czech Indoor Gala since 2018. Last year she finished second behind Sutej and went on to set a national record with her performance of 4.72m at the Czech Championships in the same arena. She then claimed bronze at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul.
The women’s 60m meeting record of 7.10 has stood since 2016 but Poland’s Swoboda, who has a PB of 6.99 set last year, could threaten it when she takes to the Ostrava track.
She will want to use experience to her advantage, having won at the event in 2018 and used the arena for training.
The 26-year-old won the European indoor 60m title in 2019 and also secured silver medals in 2017 and 2023.
After racing at the Czech Indoor Gala, Swoboda will return to Ostrava in May to compete at the Ostrava Golden Spike, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event.
