Next stars confirm their participation in Kamila Skolimowska Memorial. Pole vault record holder, Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie will face Polish aces – Piotr Lisek and Paweł Wojciechowski. The competition will take place on 22 August from 16:00 at the Silesian Stadium. Entrance to the tribunes is free.
Renaud Lavillenie is undoubtedly the most successful jumper of the last decade. He has won Olympic medals and world championships, he is an absolute record holder of the world (6.16). In the European championships, finished on Sunday, he added bronze to his rich collection by jumping the best result in the season 5.95 m. In recent years, Lavillenie was a frequent guest at Polish athletics meetings. The Frenchman likes to compete in our country, and in June at the Silesian Stadium during the memorial of Kusociński he reached 5.91. After Berlin, the pole vaulter is in a great shape and this may mean that in Chorzów fans will witness really high jumps.
In addition to Lavillenie, Lisek and Wojciechowski, Kamila Skolimowska Memorial will feature a galaxy of world-known athletes, with medalists of the last European championship. Two-time gold medalist from Berlin Justyna Święty-Ersetic and the other “Matusinski’s Angels” from the golden relay will compete on one lap with the titled Caster Semenya. 800 m world champion from London, Pierre-Ambroise Bosse will try to repay “professor” Adam Kszczot for his failure a few days ago during the European championships. Though the ranks may be thwarted by Marcin Lewandowski, a new silver medalist at 1,500 m.
The champion of Europe Michał Haratyk and the runner-up Konrad Bukowiecki, will be checked by world champion Tom Walsh, while women will compete with the queen of Europe Paulina Guba and fourth in Berlin Klaudia Kardasz. Europe’s runner-up in the hammer throw Paweł Fajdek will try to take a revenge against the gold medalist from Berlin Wojciech Nowicki and their rival will be the third on the Old Continent Bence Halasz from Hungary. Excellent discobolus Piotr Małachowski will try to prove to the European champion Andrius Gudžius and Robert Harting that the unsuccessful competition in Berlin was just an accident.
Two-time Olympic champion and three-time gold medalist of the triple jump, Christian Taylor during the Memorial will start in a 400m run, where his rival will be, the fourth in Berlin, Karol Zalewski. The European runner-up Sofia Ennaoui will run for 1500 meters, while in the 100m hurdles, the sixth athlete of the Old Continent, Karolina Kołeczek, will compete with the gold medalist Belarussian Elvira Herman.
During the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, the 100th anniversary of Poland regaining theirs independence will be honored in a special way. The 100 m race of men and women will be devoted to this jubilee. In the women’s competition two-time Olympic champion and three-time world champion Jamaica Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will compete with the best Polish sprinter, Ewa Swoboda. In the men’s race, the world’s fastest Ronnie Baker will run against the legendary Jamaican Asafa Powell.
Kamila Skolimowska’s memorial will take place on August 22 at the Silesian Stadium, the beginning of the competition at 16:00.
The main event will be accompanied by the Athletics Integration Picnic. At Plac Europejski at the gate no. 4 of the Silesian Stadium between 15:00 – 18:00 the whole families can enjoy a lot of attractions located in several zones. The picnic will have an integrational character, bringing closer to the sports competition of people with disabilities. There will also be activities for the youngest guests and the expert advicse of dieticians in the health zone. Participation in all activities is free.
From 10:00 to 12:00 at the Silesian Stadium, the Kamila Skolimowska Mini Memorial will take place. Juniors will compete in the same arena where world athletics stars will start a few hours later.