Former world javelin champion Johannes Vetter from Germany has been added to the line-up for the ISTAF in Berlin on 13 September, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver Meeting.
Vetter’s season hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing due to various injury problems but he produced his best throw in over two years at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku on 11 August, adding more than four metres to the world lead with 91.49m.
Vetter is targeting a similar distance in the Olympic Stadium next month to displace Jan Zelezny’s meeting record of 91.30m which has stood since 1995, just two years after Vetter was born. 'I'm already toying with the meeting record. I would like to throw that far in Berlin,” said Vetter.
Vetter just missed out on the medals at the 2018 European Championships but Vetter has an accomplished record at the ISTAF which is held in the same arena. He has won here before on three prior occasions: 85.40m in 2019, 89.85m in 2017 and 89.57m in 2016.
“The fact that we athletes can celebrate our end of season with the ISTAF this year is simply outstanding. It's great that everyone involved makes this possible. I have competed three times at the ISTAF so far and have won three times. I would very much like to continue this series,” said Vetter.
What a rocket! @jojo_javelin set a massive world lead of 91.49m in the javelin at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku this evening. pic.twitter.com/3aIcpA0jjI
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) August 11, 2020
The ISTAF programme is made up of nine events and all nine recently crowned German champions, including Vetter, will be in action in front of a crowd which will be capped at 3500 spectators.
National pole vault champion Bo Kanda Lita Baehre, who recently improved his lifetime best to 5.81m, faces world record-holder and European champion Armand Duplantis in the pole vault and Max Hess faces world and Olympic champion Christian Taylor from the United States in the triple jump.
Reigning world and European champion Malaika Mihambo is also confirmed for the long jump while Lisa-Marie Kwayie and Deniz Almas will be in action in the 100m.
Other German champions in action include Hanna Klein in the 1500m, Clemens Prufer in the discus and Elena Burkard in the 3000m steeplechase. Burkard will face two-time European champion and world bronze medallist Gesa Felicitas Krause who was a non-finisher at the German Championships in Braunschweig.