MEN
200 m: Starting in a “good” line, Jan Volko wants to attack a national Slovak record (20, 66) in competition of three athletes with personal bests under 20 seconds (Gulijev, Rodney and the meeting record holder on 100 m, Ogunode). Gulijev requested a money bonus for overcoming the meeting record – 20,12s.
800 m: Unexpectedly a quality starting field with 2013 World champion, Aman; bronze medalist from 2015 World Championships, Tuka and 2012 Olympic silver medalist, Amos. So there is a chance for Slovak runners Repcik and Talan to run fast. We are expecting to see an attack to break the meeting record from last year (1:44, 70).
3000 m: This discipline reminds us that in December 2017 there will be the European Cross Country Championship held in Samorin, Slovakia. The last year winner on 1500m, Cheboi from Kenya together with the Ethiopians has promised to attack the meeting record (7:39,19). It will not be easy.
400 m hurdles: Omar Cisneros from Cuba has run 47.92, but also Cornel Fredericks as the African Champion is in a good shape this year. Starting list shows us other great names such as Patryk Dobek (finalist from the 2015 World Championships) or Jack Green from Great Britain.
HIGH JUMP: There will be an Asian duel of 2015 World silver medalist, Cang Kuo-weja and the 2016 Olympic finalist, Majed Ghazal from Syria. Slovak Matus Bubenik is just starting his season at P-T-S meeting. Will they jump over 230 cm?
TRIPLE JUMP: Right at the beginning of the meeting, great names will be competing including the Cubans, Andy Diaz (17.40) and 2016 Junior World Champion, Lazaro Martinez (17.24), Yoann Rapinier (17.45) from France and Italian Daniele Greco (17.47). Great rivals could push Slovak athlete, Tomas Veszelka to reach for his new personal best.
HAMMER THROW: World Leader, World Champion and European Champion, Pawel Fajdek could possibly break the meeting record (80.90). The 2012 Olympic winner, Krisztian Pars together with 2015 World and 2016 Olympic medalist, Wojciech Nowicki will also be presented. Marcel Lomnicky is competing in front of the home crowd.
3000 M WALKING: Matej Toth, the Slovak sport hero, has decided to have only one start before the 2017 World Championships in London and right at the P – T – S meeting in Samorin. He is coming from his full training section.
4×100 m: Strong South Africans against Czechs and Hungarians with their best teams.
WOMEN:
200 m: Alexandra Bezekova is having a great year, so she might be able to attack her personal best (23, 46) again starting in a “good” line. Her rivals will be Italian Gloria Hooper (22, 89) and 2012 Olympic medalist in relay, Yelizaveta Bryzgina from Ukraine.
400 m: Iveta Putalova has ambitions to reach for the 2017 World Championships qualification limit (52.10) and break the Slovak record (51.98) in competition with Lydia Jele of Botswana (this year improvement of 50.32) and Anastasiya Bryzgina from Ukraine, who has improved her time to 51.89 last weekend.
800 m: Finalists from 2016 Olympic Games on 1500m Rababe Arafi from Morocco (also fourth from 2015 WCH on 800 m) and Sofia Ennaoui from Poland will run shorter distance. The new name on a starting list, Dorcus Ajok from Uganda could be a surprise. Alexandra Stukova will try to get the best performance near to her personal best.
LONG JUMP: Presence of European and Indoor European medalist, Russian Daria Klisinova and Lorraine Ugen from Great Britain is a good promise for the premiere Eva Suran`s Memorial in Samorin. Jana Veldakova has announced an increase of her shape in recent competitions. Interesting will be the start of the 14-year-old super-talent from France, Heather Arneton. Her 657cm indoors is the world record in this age category.
HAMMER THROW: Anita Wlodarczykova has no rivals, she mostly fights with herself. The Olympic winner and World champion always thinks of long throws. Organizers would also be happy to see an improvement of her meeting record from last year (77, 70 m).