by Alfonz Juck
Duplantis, Bol, Thompson and SAFP to shine in Budapest
BUDAPEST (HUN): World elite is returning to Budapest’s National Athletics Centre on Tuesday, two years after successful 2023 World Championships, to participate in the István Gyulai Memorial (WACT Gold). Men’s pole vault and hammer throw introduce top 3 ranked athletes, Mondo Duplantis, Emmanouil Karalis, Sam Kendricks, and Ethan Katzberg, Mykhaylo Kokhan, Bencze Halász respectively, while hammer line-up includes also fresh European U20 champion Ármin Szabados. Women’s 100m will see full Jamaican Champs podium of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson and champion Tina Clayton, while men’s sprint has two of them Kishane Thompson and Ackeem Blake.
Femke Bol is one of the returning 2023 World champions, set for the 400m hurdles against new Canada’s Savannah Sutherland in her European debut. Both 2023 long jump champions are due to compete, Ivana Španović (against World Indoor champion Claire Bryant) and Miltiadis Tentoglou. Other anticipated duels include men’s shot put (Leonardo Fabbri and Joe Kovacs) and 400m (Khaleb McRae, Zakithi Nene and Muzala Samukonga). There are notable leaders in other disciplines, Molly Caudery (pole vault, also Johanna Duplantis in her international debut), Ackera Nugent and Cordell Tinch (short hurdles), Gabriel Tual (800m), Jamaican champions Ashanti Moore and Bryan Levell (200m), or European aces Lieke Klaver (400m) and Jan Štefela (high jump). The main program starts on Tuesday at 5:30pm CEST/local time (3:30pm GMT) and the meet is sold out with 15 000 expected spectators.
