We have finally awaited. The day of the 60th TIPOS P-T-S athletics meeting has dawned. Who among us was already born when its premiere took place in 1957? Who among us was in the audience when Bubka set world records at Pasienky? What today´s  performances will we remember  years and decades later? Before Friday´s dusk, we will be wiser and brimming with fresh impressions.

After three advanced disciplines of the main program and the opening ceremony, a two-hour event packed with top athletics will erupt. Blink and you miss the decisive attempt. Talk and suddenly the starting gun will bring you back into the action.

We have prepared a brief chronological breviary of the headlines as a guide for a more oriented viewing and for even a more exceptional experience.

Hammer Throw Women (16:00)

Seeing the best hammer thrower in history compete on her 40th birthday is truly a unique event. Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk (PB 82.98, SB 74.70), the reigning world record holder and three-time winner of our event, will also bid farewell to the TIPOS P-T-S meeting, as this season is reportedly her last. Home team athlete Veronika Kaňuchová (PB 69.98, SB 66.95) has a chance to score valuable ranking points.

Hammer Throw  Men (16:00)

Valuable ranking points are a clear leitmotif also for Marcel Lomnický (PB 79.19, SB 73.86). The favorite in this event is clear: Hungarian Olympic silver medalist from Paris 2024 Halász Bence set a personal best of 81.94 on Saturday in Budapest. Will he succeed in breaking Sergey Litvinov’s 35-year-old meeting record of 80.90? Take your seats in the audience early – right after the legends’ autograph session (15:00).

Triple Jump Men (16:45)

In front of former world record holder Willie Banks from the USA, who said on Thursday on Meet the Stars that he does not consider even future 19 meters out of the question, Algerian Yasser Mohammed Triki (PB 17.43, SB 17.23) will want to attack 17 meters. However, the same ambition applies to Sami Bakheet (PB & SB 16.98) from Saudi Arabia. And what about host Tomáš Veszelka (PB 17.09, SB 16.21)?

High Jump Men (18:05)

Israeli Jonathan Kapitolnik (PB & SB 231) has been preparing for several days in the arena and he will aspire to surpass 230 cm. Experienced Oceania record holder Brandon Starc (PB 236, SB 223) from Australia is returning after an injury. What will Robert Ruffíni Jr. (PB 215, SB 211) and Julian Juráček (PB & SB 207) be inspired to do in a prominent company and a pumped-up atmosphere?

100 m Hurdles Women (18:10)

Viktória Forster (PB 12.72, SB 12.74) and other comparable national record holders, Hungarian Luca Kozák (PB 12.69, SB 12.75) and Austrian Karin Strametz (PB & SB 12.81), will run for the victory and the limit for September’s World Championships in Tokyo (12.73). Will the popular Viki finally win the P-T-S meeting in the central Slovak metropolis after a series of placements? However, Tereza Čorejová (PB & SB 13.04), fresh from the bronze medal at the U23 European Championships in Bergen, also deserves attention and applause.

100 m Men (18:20)

The first 100m in Slovakia under ten seconds? Qatari representative Femi Ogunode ran in Šamorín (P-T-S 2016) and Jamaican Nesta Carter in Dubnica nad Váhom (2012) in 10.01. Now there will be three sprinters with a personal best starting with nine: American Ronnie Baker (PB 9.83, SB 9.92 from last Friday in Eugene, he has already gone under ten 25 times!), South African Shaun Maswanganyi (PB 9.91, SB 10.13) and Jamaican Ryiem Forde (PB 9.95, SB 9.98). What will they pull Ján Volko (PB 10.13, SB 10.27) to?

Javelin Throw Men (18:25)

The Czech European champion from last year’s Rome and the Olympic silver medalist from three years ago in Tokyo, Jakub Vadlejch (PB 90.88, SB 79.60) is returning after an injury. Will he and anyone else manage to send the implements beyond the 80-meter line? The home team’s trump card in the game will be Patrik Michalec (PB & SB 76.79). By the way, the famous Czech Jan Železný, the event’s record holder for 90.80 from thirty years ago, will also be among the spectators.

 

400 m Hurdles Men (18:30)

From a domestic perspective, this is an another chapter in the attractive rivalry between Matej Baluch (PB & SB 49.37) and Patrik Dömötör (SB & PB 49.23). National champion six days ago, Dömötör was motivated to admit that sub-49 seconds is not far away. Standing in their way are Slovenian Matic Ian Guček (PB & SB 48.34) and German Joshua Abuaku (PB 48.12, SB 49.10).

Long Jump Women  – Eva Šuranová Memorial (18:30)

After the injury of the Serbian winner from the 2024, Milica Gardaševičová, this discipline is completely open. Any performance better than 660 will please. From a domestic point of view, the presence of three female jumpers is, of course, interesting. It consists of Dominika Švaňová (PB & SB 611), Michaela Comová (PB & SB 607) and Petra Ďurišová (PB & SB 579).

400 m Hurdles Women (18:40)

Emma Zapletalová is attacking her own Slovak record of 54.08, which she recently achieved on July 19 at the Diamond League in London. She will run first time in Banská Bystrica at TIPOS P-T-S  after two appearances in Šamorín! Daniela Ledecká (PB & SB 54.69) is trying to get the limit for the upcoming World Championships (54.65) and today she will have a compatriot in the neighboring track in front of her… Without a doubt, this race is also a great motivation for 19-year-old Rebecca Slezáková (PB 57.64, SB 57.81).

400 m Men (18:50)

Three athletes  have a top under 45 seconds (Nigerian Emmanuel Bamidele, Slovenian Rok Ferlan, Jamaican Sean Bailey), but currently the best form of all present has probably the Olympic relay champion, Dutchman Eugene Omalla (PB & SB 45.04). The discovery of the recent period Tomáš Grajcarík will run to further improve his personal best of 47.09, Šimon Bujna (PB 46.00, SB 46.92) would not neglect to internally return Sunday’s loss from national championships to him.

100 m Women (19:05)

The winner of the 100 at the recent U23 European Championships in Bergen, Karolína Maňasová (PB 11.11, SB 11.22) is thinking about improving Jarmila Kratochvílová’s 44-year-old Czech record of 11.09. By the way, it was set in Bratislava… However, the all-rounder Viktória Forster run 11.19 at the June’s Athletic Criterion of the SNP here, which was an improvement of her own national maximum in the 100m by seven hundredths, indicated that she should be reckoned with.

800 m Women (19:15)

The reigning European vice-champion from the Italian capital, Gabriela Gajanová (PB 1:58.22) showed a numerically symmetrical 2:00.02 at the national championships on Sunday at the same stadium in her 70-days delayed entry into the summer season. If she can now match the pace thanks to the pacemaker, it could be not only a successful defense of last year’s victory, but also a quality time. The meeting record of 1:58.65 from Bratislava 1997 is held by Briton Kelly Holmes…

1500 m Women (19:25)

Speaking of meeting records from the last century, in this discipline it is owned by Kenyan Jackline Marango – she showed 4:00.81 back in 1998. And Ethiopian Axumawit Embaye has a personal best of 3:58.80 and this season’s best of 4:01.46. It will – in addition to the support from the announced pacemakers – also require frenetic help from the audience lasting for four minutes. Perhaps less than that.

200 m Men (19:40)

Ján Volko (PB 20.24, SB 20.77), who is starting for the ninth time at TIPOS P-T-S, was more satisfied with his performance in the 100m at the weekend national championship in Banská Bystrica, but today it may be the other way around. As for the results, the paper situation indicates his better chances in 200m. However, the fast Czechs Ondřej Macík (PB 20.39, SB 20.78) and Eduard Kubelík (PB 20.51, SB 20.87) will not be just extras.

 200m Women (19:50)

And we’re at the end! It flew by, didn’t it? Australian Torrie Lewis (PB & SB 22.65) and Italian Vittoria Fontan (PB & SB 22.79) can both be expected to run under 23 seconds. All four Slovak representatives – Viktória Strýčková (PB & SB 23.35), Agáta Cellerová (PB & SB 23.58), Delia Farajpour (PB & SB 23.59) and Lenka Kovačovicová (PB & SB 23.66) – will primarily be going for personal bests.

(KO), Photo: SAZ/SPR media/Roman Benický and Ján Súkup