Mihambo, Ogunleye and Co.: Golden glitter in the Golden Oval

A top-class field is set to provide highlights at the second Golden Oval following the renovation of Dresden's Heinz Steyer Stadium. Olympic long jump champion Malaika Mihambo will be competing, as will Olympic shot put champion Yemisi Ogunleye, the exceptional discus thrower Valarie Allman from the USA and the women's bronze medal relay team from Paris. 16 competitions are scheduled for Sunday (1.00 pm/livestream on Sportschau.de, from 3.30 pm/ARD).

American Christopher Nielsen has also signed up for the pole vault at short notice. The silver medal winner from Tokyo will face the European indoor champion Emmanouil Karalis from Greece and Bo Kanda Lita Baehre from Düsseldorf.

Forecast of the German championships

Local color will be provided by Karl Bebendorf from Dresdner SC 1898 in the 1,500 meters. The European Championship bronze medallist in the 3,000-metre steeplechase is in brilliant form on the starting line after setting a new German best in the 2,000-metre steeplechase the previous week.

In the almost sold-out arena, spectators get a foretaste of the final of the German Championships at the beginning of August at the same venue. In a national race over 400 meters, multiple German champion Corinna Schwab from Chemnitz, Rostock's Johanna Martin, Jana Lakner and Mona Mayer from Regensburg and Leverkusen's Annkathrin Hoven will battle it out for victory.

Contested discus competitions

The discus fields are top class. Olympic silver medalist Marike Steinacker, Tokyo silver medalist Kristin Pudenz from OSC Potsdam and European Championship medalist Shanice Craft from SV Halle will all be looking to challenge the favorite Allman for victory.

In the men's event, Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Denny from Australia is already in form after his victories in Doha and at the throwing day in Halle.

Olympic sixth-placed Clemens Prüfer from Potsdam and world championship eighth-placed Henrik Janssen from SC Magdeburg, Mika Sosna (TSG Bergedorf), Steven Richter (LV 90 Erzgebirge) and 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Daniel Jasinski from Wattenscheid want to topple the favorites.

Federation awards Golden Oval silver level

In addition to the world-class field, the Golden Oval has also been upgraded with the silver label from World Athletics, making it one of the highest-caliber athletics events in the world. The Heinz Steyer Stadium, which was reopened last year, is thus building on old traditions.

13 GDR world records were set on one of the world's fastest running tracks and in the stadium circuit. In addition to sprinters Renate Stecher and Marlies Göhr and high jumper Rosemarie Ackermann, Evelin Jahl with the discus, javelin thrower Ruth Fuchs and long jumper Heike Drechsler also entered the best lists.