News13 Jan 2015


Kallur to make comeback in Karlsruhe

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Susanna Kallur powers to the world indoor 60m hurdles record in Karlsruhe in 2008 (© AFP / Getty Images)

Sweden’s Susanna Kallur will return to the Karlsruhe indoor meeting on 31 January, the event where she ran the still-standing 60m hurdles world record of 7.68 in 2008, organisers of the first IAAF Indoor Permit meeting of the year announced on Tuesday (13).

Kallur, now 33, has been bedevilled by injuries in recent years but still has her sights set on returning to the podium at a major championship.

However, there will be considerable interest in how she performs in the Messe Karlsruhe arena as she has not raced in public over barriers, either outdoors or indoors, since 2010. She did, however, compete in some low-key local races over 100m last summer.

Kallur was the European 100m hurdles champion back in 2006 and won European 60m hurdles indoor titles in 2005 and 2007, but she often just missed out on medals on the global stage. The 2000 world junior 100m hurdles champion’s solitary senior honour was the 2006 world indoor 60m hurdles bronze medal.

Last summer, and fit again, Kallur started training seriously. After a stint during December on the Spanish island of Fuerteventura, she is currently back home in Falun.

“This is, perhaps, the last chance for a comeback,” said Kallur recently.

Unfortunately, the Karlsruhe organisers also announced that Germany’s two-time world shot champion David Storl had withdrawn from their meeting owing to the fact that he is still in the throes of recovering from recent surgery.

Storl hopes to be fit enough to contest the German indoor championships on 21-22 February, which are also in the Messe Karlsruhe.

Phil Minshull and organisers for the IAAF