GERMAN MEETINGS: DÜSSELDORF – 2016 PSD Bank Meeting Chase for heights pre-programmed: Three World pole vault champions compete

Reigning World champion against his pre-decessor and the indoor World champion. Or in other words: “Air Canada” Shawn Barber against German Raphael Holzdeppe and Greek Kostadinos Filipidis.

The pole vault competition at the 11th PSD Bank Meeting, to take place at the sports city of Duesseldorf on February 3, could once again be a highlight. Particularly, as the protagonists already are in top shape.

World champion Shawn Barber, for instance, mastered 5.88m at the season’s opener in the USA last Friday. Only the magic six metres were (yet) too high for the 21-year-old.  

That’s exactly the height Raphael Holzdeppe will be focussing on this winter. The 2015 World silver medallist and 2013 World champion will start the season at Merzig, Germany, on January 16, but he has already performed impressive jumps in practice. From a short warm-up (14 steps) he jumped over 5.70m.

“I intend to master the six metres. According to my training schedule I am up for it. My main aim is now to get through the season healthy. Then there should be nothing to prevent me from a good indoor season“, said the 26-year-old. If he achieves that, his personal best would be threatened at the PSD Bank Meeting at Arena Sportpark. His indoor best mark  currently stands at 5.82m.

For World champion Shawn Barber, whose father and coach George also was a World Championship finalist in Helsinki 1983, the PSD Bank Meeting will be one of his very first indoor appearances in Europe.

Though Meeting Director Marc Osenberg would have liked to sign him on for Duesseldorf in 2015, the Canadian was obliged to compete at the University competitions in the USA, where he studies. That has changed since Barber turned professional last August.   

Indoor World champion Kostadinos Filipidis wants to tune in to his title defending campaign in Duesseldorf. The 5.91m pole vaulter won the 2014 indoor title ahead of German Malte Mohr at Sopot in Poland. Mohr missed the 2015 season due to injury and is currently training intensively for his comeback. Further German athletes to compete are Tobias Scherbarth, who finished seventh at the World Championships, and   last year’s newcomer Carlo Paech. In addition to Barber, Sam Kendricks also will come to Duesseldorf from overseas. The US athlete started the indoor season with 5.60m and is a contender for heights of 5.80m and over.   

Thus the athletics fans may look forward to a thrilling chase for heights at Arena Sportpark. Even the meeting record of 5.90m, set by German Bjoern Otto in 2013, might be endangered when the World champion trio takes to the very hard poles in front of the back straight. In fact the PSD Bank Meeting, taking place just six weeks prior to the World Indoor Championships in Portland, USA, is the first major event of the pole vaulting elite.

Those who want to be on site when Holzdeppe, Barber, Filipidis & Co start their chase for heights at the PSD Bank Meeting in Duesseldorf, shouldn’t wait too long to book their tickets.

As in the past years, there is a great demand for the 2,000 tickets.

Source: PSD Bank Meeting Düsseldorf