Emerging Czech long jumper Petr Meindlschmid is one of the standout names in action at the Otrokovice Jump 2025, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Challenger event, on Wednesday (22).
The entire Otrokovice Jump 2025 will be streamed live on the European Athletics website from 2.45pm local time (CET) on Wednesday without restrictions.
Meindlschmid’s exploits last year might have gone somewhat under the radar due to the presence of fellow teenage phenomenon Mattia Furlani but the Czech, who only turned 19 last week and was twice a winner at the European Youth Olympic Festival earlier in his career, also featured in the long jump final at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships where Furlani won silver behind Greek star Miltiadis Tentoglou.
Meindlschmid finished an excellent seventh in the Stadio Olimpico, breaking the eight metre-barrier for the first time in his career in qualifying with 8.01m before improving to 8.03m in the final.
He would also go on to represent Czechia at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris at the age of 18 and will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Furlani and succeeding him as European U20 champion in Tampere, Finland this summer.
The Czech, who is also a highly promising footballer, will face opposition in Otrokovice from Ukraine’s Yaroslav Isachenkov and Benin record-holder Romeo Ntia, both of whom have identical lifetime bests of 7.97m.
The long-standing Otrokovice meeting record is 7.96m, set by Czechia's Roman Novotny back in 2009.
Another highlight across the programme is the men’s high jump. Former world U20 champion Antonios Marlos from Greece takes on an international field including Mexican brothers Erick Portillo and Jair Portillo who have lifetime bests of 2.28m and 2.27m respectively.
In total, athletes from 18 countries are due to compete in Otrokovice. Other names to watch out for include Great Britain’s Emily Borthwick - a 1.95m performer at her very best - in the high jump and Sonia Malavisi from Italy in the pole vault.
Some of the greats who have competed in Otrokovice over the years include Czech combined events legends Tomas Dvorak and Roman Sebrle, both of whom have held the world record in the decathlon.
Steven Mills for European Athletics