GERMAN MEETINGS – DUESSELDORF – “PSD Bank Meeting” in Duesseldorf on 8 February. Athletics festival with a dozen Olympic medals / Meeting again sold out

Duesseldorf, 4 February 2013. More than a dozen Olympic and more than 30 World Championship medals have been gained by the about 175 athletes from more than 30 nations competing at the “PSD Bank Meeting” taking place at the Athletics Hall at Arena Sportpark in Duesseldorf on 8 February.

“We have once again achieved to acquire a top field of participants that promises interesting competitions, season’s World best performances and meeting records”, says Meeting Director Marc Osenberg.

Two 2004 Olympic champions will also be competing: Tatyana Lebedeva (Russia/long jump), who can boast a total of five Olympic medals, and Yuriy Borzakovskiy (Russia/800m). 2012 London Olympic medallists are Timothy Kitum (Kenya/800m/bronze), Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad (France/3000m steeple chase/silver), Jason Richardson (USA/110m hurdles/silver), Ekaterina Poistogova (Russia/800m/bronze), Olga Saladuha (Ukraine/triple jump/bronze) and the German pole vault duo Bjoern Otto (silver) and Raphael Holzdeppe (bronze).

After a “time-out” in 2012, the pole vault is again on the programme of the “PSD Bank Meeting” that includes altogether eleven disciplines. Duesseldorf’s Lord Mayor Dirk Elbers has taken over the patronage for the meeting. The men’s events are the 60m, 800m, 1,500m and 3,000m and the 60m hurdles besides the pole vault, the women will compete in the 60m, 800m, 1,500m, 60m hurdles and triple jump.

Always a highlight: the sprint finals at the “PSD Bank Meeting”. Among the most distinguished athletes are US American Danielle Carruthers, the 2011 World silver medallist in the 100m hurdles and runner-up in the 60m hurdles in Duesseldorf in 2011 and 2012; and Jamaican Lerone Clarke, the third-fasted in the world in the 60m indoors in 2012. “I like the private atmosphere here in Duesseldorf, and we athletes are in the thick of it“, Carruthers disclosed at a press conference at the headquarters of PSD Bank Rhein-Ruhr eG on Monday. “And of course I want to win and attack the meeting record.” Clarke, too, is aiming at a record in the 60 metres: “6.52 seconds is fast, but doable.”

“A big thank you to Marc Osenberg for his sure instinct at signing athletes. I am already looking forward to Friday evening”, said August-Wilhelm Albert, member of the Board of PSD Bank Rhein-Ruhr eG. For the first time six athletes of ART Duesseldorf will also be competing at the “home meeting”. A sell-out crowd of 2,000 has already been ascertained at the Athletics Hall at Arena Sportpark. Albert: “All tickets have been sold as of today – we are completely sold out.”

The event will start at 19:00hrs on 8 February – the doors will be open from 17:00hrs – and finish at 21:00hrs.

Organisers

Meeting Duesseldorf