Ticket sales are already flying for next summer’s Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava, which will have Gout Gout as one of its headliners. Over 3,000 fans have already bought seats for the June 16, 2026 competition at Municipal Stadium in Ostrava-Vítkovice.
Meeting organizers announced their first confirmed athletes for the 65th edition while competitors train through the winter indoor season. The celebration will mark a special milestone as meeting director Jan Železný celebrates his 60th birthday on race day. Železný still holds the javelin world record.
Gout Gout for Golden Spike Returns After Breaking Bolt’s Youth Mark
Australian teenager Gout Gout will compete in Ostrava for the second straight year. The 17-year-old made international headlines in 2024 by breaking Usain Bolt’s under-18 record in the 200 meters at age 16.
Gout Gout won during his first Golden Spike appearance this past summer, running 20.02 seconds with no wind assistance. That time stands as both his personal best and the Australian under-20 national record. His parents moved to Australia from South Sudan, and track experts believe he could eventually challenge Bolt’s senior world records.
His closing speed stands out most. Gout ran the final 50 meters in 4.62 seconds during a 19.84 performance in April, though excessive wind prevented official recognition. That split was actually faster than Bolt’s closing 50 meters during his 19.19 world record run from 2009.
Greek Pole Vaulter Brings Entertainment Value
Emmanouil Karalis earned silver at the World Championships in Tokyo and will bring his crowd-pleasing style back to Ostrava. The Greek vaulter first competed at the meeting as a 16-year-old in 2016, clearing 5.55 meters for a world age-group best.
The 26-year-old now ranks fourth all-time with his 6.08-meter clearance from 2025. Only Sergey Bubka, Renaud Lavillenie and Mondo Duplantis have jumped higher. Karalis also claimed Olympic bronze in Paris and won the 2025 European indoor title.
His theatrical performances include playing Zorba the Greek music and working with the crowd between attempts. His father Haris and Polish coach Marcin Szczepański guide his training.
Czech High Jumper Seeks Revenge
Jan Štefela earned bronze at Worlds but finished second at this year’s Golden Spike on a tiebreaker. The Czech jumper lost to Ukraine’s Nikitin despite matching the winning height.
Štefela trains under former world-class high jumper Jaroslav Bába and broke through with European indoor silver in March at 2.29 meters. He jumped a personal best 2.33 meters while winning at European Team Championships, scoring maximum points for his country. His Tokyo medal made him the first Czech man to reach a World Championships podium in high jump.
Moon Challenges Home Favorite Švábíková
American Katie Moon will make her Golden Spike debut in women’s pole vault. The Tokyo Olympic champion and three-time defending world champion owns a 4.95-meter best and continues chasing five meters. Moon also won silver in Paris.
Czech vaulter Amálie Švábíková will defend her home track. The 26-year-old placed fourth at Worlds in Tokyo after finishing fifth at the Paris Olympics. She took European indoor bronze in 2023 and trains with coach Jiřina Kudličková.
Britain’s Molly Caudery set the meeting record at 4.84 meters in 2024, but that mark faces serious danger with Moon in the field.
Sprint Gold Medalist Racing at Home
Karolína Maňasová will compete in the women’s 100 meters in front of her home fans. The Ostrava native and SSK Vítkovice club member won European under-23 gold in Bergen after reaching the Olympic semifinals in Paris.
She improved the Czech 60-meter record to 7.10 seconds indoors and reached her first senior championship final at European Indoors. Injury kept her from competing at the 2025 Golden Spike, though she still appeared at the opening ceremony.
Her 100-meter best of 11.11 seconds puts her close to Jarmila Kratochvílová’s 44-year-old Czech record of 11.09. Coach Ivo Pištěk has helped Maňasová reach the level where that national mark appears within reach.
World Record Attempt Over 1000 Meters
The men’s 1000 meters returns to Ostrava for the first time since 2015. Organizers set up the race with one clear goal—breaking Noah Ngeny’s world record of 2:11.96 from 1999.
American Josh Hoey confirmed his entry after winning world indoor 800-meter gold. He ran his 1500-meter personal best at this year’s Golden Spike and set a world indoor best over 600 meters last weekend.
Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui will also race. The 2024 European silver medalist reached finals at both the Paris Olympics and Tokyo Worlds. He ran 2:12.25 in September, the third-fastest 1000 meters ever recorded.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe holds the European record at 2:12.18 from 1981. Both continental and world marks could fall on the fast Ostrava track.
Gift Tickets Available
Starting December 19, fans can purchase gift vouchers through the Golden Spike website. The vouchers include space for personal messages and arrive instantly by email after purchase.
More details are posted at www.zlatatretra.co
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