News14 Jan 2019


Lisek, Ta Lou and Muir join Torun fields

FacebookTwitterEmail

Piotr Lisek in Torun (© Jean Pierre Durand)

Two-time world indoor bronze medallist Piotr Lisek has joined a strong men's pole vault field at the Orlen Copernicus Cup, the third meeting of the 2019 IAAF World Indoor Tour, in Torun, Poland, on 6 February.

Lisek, 26, returns to defend his Copernicus title, won last year with a second attempt clearance at 5.91m. He'll take on USA’s Sam Kendricks, the reigning world champion outdoors, Canada's 2015 world champion Shawn Barber and another home favourite, Pawel Wojciechowski, the 2011 world champion.

"I really like to compete in Torun, because I won the Copernicus Cup last year," said Lisek, who went on to secure the World Indoor Tour title in the event last year. "I think that the main opponent will be Pawel Wojciechowski, who will start in front of his fans, and the current world champion Sam Kendricks."

Marie-Josee Ta Lou, the 2018 African and Continental Cup 100m champion, also returns to defend her Torun 60m title. The 30-year-old from Ivory Coast followed up that performance with a silver medal-winning dash over the distance at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham less than three weeks later.

Other stars announced today include Laura Muir of Great Britain, the double European indoor champion and multiple national record holder, who will race over 800m. The 25-year-old has a 1:59.69 indoor lifetime best over the distance. Muir opened her 2019 campaign with a 5000m victory in Glasgow on 4 January, clocking 14:52.02.

Meanwhile, European shot put champion Paulina Guba, who was announced last week, has set her ambitions high as she prepares for what will be her discipline’s debut at this World Indoor Tour event. “There wasn’t a women’s shot put ever in Torun, so for me, it is a great chance to beat the national record (before a home crowd),” Guba said. That indoor mark of 19.26m was set by Krystyna Zabawska in 1999, when Guba was just eight years old.

Organisers and Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

2019 IAAF World Indoor Tour
26 January – Boston
2 February – Karlsruhe
6 February – Torun
8 February – Madrid
16 February – Birmingham
20 February – Dusseldorf

Loading...