This year’s Folksam Grand Prix kicks off on Saturday and there will be plenty of stars at the Folksam GP Stockholm Indoor. Sätra Friidrottshall will be visited by, among others, Chase Jackson, who won the last two WC finals in shot put.
The American Chase Jackson is the top name in the ball competition that has been created for Fanny Roos, the Olympic sevens who stepped on the podium at the last two editions of the Indoor EC. Chase and Fanny are also challenged by the world number two in shot put last year, Maggie Ewenalso from the USA.
In the cross-country pit, a repeat of last year’s duel between the four-time European Championship silver medalist awaits Thobias Montler and the super talent Matthias Furlani, who last autumn was named “European Rising Star” among all European track and field athletes. In Sätra, Thobias won with what would prove to be his longest jump of the year (8.19) while Furlani took over the European junior record with 7.99. He later jumped 8.44 in a slightly too strong tailwind. Mattia, who won both the long jump and the high jump at the Youth European Championships, turns 19 next week. Falkenberg’s Tilda Johansson won the long distance competition last year and now has to show his colors against the Serbian Milica Gardasevicwho among other things won the Junior WC.
On the circuit, we get to participate Andreas Kramer first race for this year – just like last year when he was superior in his first of 23 races at 800 meters. Four of them were in the world time of 1:44 and Andreas won the Team EC. At 1500 meters, at least three Swedish stars will enter Emil Danielsson, Samuel Pihlström and Jonathan Graham. The latter set the eighth of his eleven junior records in Sätra last year. Now the Mölndal runner, who recently turned 19, comes with his first Swedish senior record, set at a mile this weekend.
Other Swedish stars to keep an eye on:
Max HreljaMAI, who at the WC last year came close to Robert Kronberg’s Swedish hurdles record and in the first two competitions of the year touched the personal record in the 60 meter hurdles, 7.70.
The clubmate Julia Henrikssonwho started with one hundredth from the Swedish record in 200 meters, now gives up in 60 meters.
Melvin Lycke Holmwho in his first international competition of the year touched the personal height record of 2.18 – the same result that he won the Junior European Championship with last summer.
Hanna Hermansson comes across the Atlantic as the second fastest of the recent season in the Nordics at 3000 meters. She goes on the favorite distance 1500 against the European number one Georgia Bell.
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The competition is broadcast on SVT (Saturday 15.50–17.50 on SVT1/Play), but the most exciting experience will of course be on site. You secure your tickets here.
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You can find all the information on the competition’s website.
