USA's Ashton Eaton in action in the long jump (© Getty Images)
World champions Ashton Eaton and Zuzana Hejnova are among the latest stars confirmed to compete at the Golden Spike in Ostrava on 20 May, organisers of the IAAF World Challenge meeting announced on Thursday (21).
Eaton competed in the 400m hurdles at this meeting in 2014, setting a then-PB of 48.94. In Ostrava this year, the Olympic decathlon champion will contest the long jump as the event returns to the meeting after a seven-year hiatus.
The US all-rounder has a long jump best of 8.23m. In Portland in March he jumped 8.08m en route to his third successive world indoor heptathlon title and earlier this month he jumped a marginally wind-assisted 8.09m to win at the Mt SAC Relays.
European indoor silver medallist Radek Juska and Paralympic champion Markus Rehm will be among Eaton’s rivals in Ostrava.
Hejnova will be one of the big local attractions at the meeting. The two-time world 400m hurdles champion has twice won at this meeting and set a meeting record of 53.32 here in 2013.
“I always like to compete here and I hope to give the great crown a sub-54 time,” she said.
Hejnova will be up against compatriot Denisa Rosolova and USA’s 2013 world silver medallist Dalilah Muhammed, who won world youth gold in Ostrava nine years ago.
Organisers for the IAAF
