Pascal Martinot-Lagarde and Andy Pozzi in Karlsruhe (© Andreas Arndt)
Andy Pozzi, Pascal Martinot-Lagarde and Dimitri Bascou will face off in a clash of 60m hurdles medallists at the Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe on 29 January, the opening competition of the 2021 World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting series.
Pozzi, the reigning world indoor 60m hurdles champion, will be competing in Karlsruhe for the second time, following a victory in 2017 where he clocked a then-lifetime best of 7.44 one month before striking gold at the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade. The following winter the 28-year-old Briton claimed the world indoor title in Birmingham. His 7.43 personal best was also set in 2017.
Pozzi was on a solid roll en route to his title defence last winter, winning four times in as many competitions indoors before the global Coronavirus pandemic put a halt to his momentum. When competitions resumed outdoors, Pozzi triumphed in five of his eight meetings, and equalled his 13.14 career best in Monaco.
Martinot-Lagarde, the 2018 European 110m hurdles champion, will race in Karlsruhe for the fourth time, after appearances in 2012, 2013 and 2017. The 29-year-old Frenchman took the European indoor 60m hurdles title in 2015 and finished a scant 0.01 behind Pozzi at the event two years later. He took continental indoor silver again last year early in his lead-in to the World Championships in Doha where he raced to 110m hurdles bronze.
Bascou, his 33-year-old compatriot, was the winner in Karlsruhe back in 2015 and clocked his 7.41 national record in 2016. Later that summer he won the European 110m hurdles title and took bronze at the Olympic Games, notching the first Olympic 110m hurdles podium finish for France since Guy Drut's victory in 1976.
To align with local safety regulations, the meeting will not admit spectators.
Organisers for World Athletics
Calendar – World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold
29 Jan – Karlsruhe, Germany
6 Feb – Boston, USA
9 Feb – Lievin, France
13 Feb – New York City, USA
17 Feb – Torun, Poland
24 Feb – Madrid, Spain
- Full calendar of all Gold, Silver and Bronze World Athletics Indoor Tour meetings
- Gold meeting organiser details and disciplines per meeting
