It is a big week for German sprinter Christian Blum as he makes his comeback in an indoor season where his teammate has already set the standard.
Blum missed last summer with an Achilles tendon injury and returns in Erfurt on Friday over the 60m.
But 10 days ago, at that distance and in that city, fellow German Julian Reus ran 6.60 to lead this year’s early European Athletics rankings.
'I think I'll reach a very passable result,' said Blum, speaking to the German media.
And as of Reus’ time? 'It is difficult to match him,' he said.
There is no rush, but it could be the renewal of a rivalry which might go all the way to the European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam in July.
Just as it was 10 months ago at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Prague.
There, as Great Britain’s Richard Kilty, 26, won gold (6.51), Blum, 28, was second (6.58) and Reus, 27, was third (6.60).
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Blum equalled his indoor personal best last year, too, when he ran 6.56 and after injury wrecked his summer, he has been training in Tenerife.
He has ruled himself out of the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Portland in March and, speaking to Leichtathletik.de, revealed he is already looking towards the summer.
“I will take the speed out of the winter season,' said Blum. 'Soon it goes to the 100 metres.”