Anita Wlodarczyk in action in Szekesfehervar (© Gyulai Istvan Memorial)
Seven stars – including world record-holders Anita Wlodarczyk, Mondo Duplantis and Ryan Crouser – have been announced for the Gyulai Istvan Memorial when the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting returns in Szekesfehervar on 8 August.
At least 10 Olympic champions are expected to compete, giving a taste of things to come when Budapest hosts the World Athletics Championships in 2023.
Poland’s hammer throwing great Wlodarczyk is already a six-time winner at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial, having triumphed in 2021 as well as each year from 2014 to 2018.
Now she heads to Szekesfehervar as a three-time Olympic champion and will have the opportunity to add to her four world titles at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 in July, three weeks before the meeting in Hungary.
It was at that 2022 World Championships venue – Hayward Field – that Crouser broke the world shot put record with his 23.37m throw at the US Olympic Trials last year. He had already broken the world indoor record in the January and went on to retain his Olympic title in Tokyo.
Sweden’s Duplantis, meanwhile, improved his own world pole vault record to 6.19m in Belgrade in March and then went even higher in the same city a couple of weeks later, soaring 6.20m to win the world indoor title. He too will be looking to put on a show in Szekesfehervar.
Pole vault winner Mondo Duplantis at the Diamond League meeting in Stockholm (© Deca Text & Bild)
Joining them will be another three Olympic champions and a world medallist.
Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn won the 100m hurdles at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial last year and then became the Olympic champion in Tokyo, moving to joint fourth on the world all-time list with her Olympic record 12.26 in the semifinals.
Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi is one of the most colourful characters in the world of athletics. His joint high jump title win with Qatar’s Muaz Barshim in Tokyo was one of the most memorable moments of the Games.
And Sweden’s Daniel Stahl also descends on Szekesfehervar looking to add to his three discus wins at the meeting. After his 2019 World Championships triumph he was also undefeated at the Olympics in Tokyo.
Bence Halasz returns to compete on home soil in the men’s hammer. The world bronze medallist has previously competed six times at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial, placing second in 2019 and 2020.
“I am sure that a lot of people will be curious about this year's competition,” said Peter Deutsch, chairman of the organising committee. “Not only because of the world stars Mondo Duplantis or Ryan Crouser, but also because they can support the best Hungarian athletes preparing for the 2023 World Championships.”
The Gyulai Istvan Memorial is the penultimate meeting in the 2022 World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series and further athletes have also recently been announced for the Gold events in Ostrava and Hengelo.
The Ostrava Golden Spike on 31 May will welcome Kenya’s world leader Ferdinand Omanyala, South Africa’s Akani Simbine and Czech sprinters Jan Veleba, Zdenek Stromsik and Dominik Zalesky in the men's 100m.
In the men's 800m, Poland’s Olympic bronze medallist Patryk Dobek will go up against Botswana’s Nijel Amos, Amel Tuka from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Britain’s Elliot Giles and Max Burgin, who set a European U20 record last year with 1:44.14 at the Golden Spike.
At the FBK Games on 6 June, Dafne Schippers will return to run the 100m on home soil. The two-time world 200m champion has a PB of 10.81 and in 2015 ran 10.94 to win in Hengelo.
Organisers for World Athletics
