The opening press conference for the upcoming edition of the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting Czech Indoor Gala 2026 took place at Hotel Adria on Wenceslas Square in Prague. The guests were Amálie Švábíková, Tomáš Staněk, and Libor Varhaník.
For the third consecutive year, the international Czech Indoor Gala meeting holds its place among the world’s elite, as it is part of the highest Gold category of the World Athletics Indoor Tour—one of only eight top-level indoor meetings worldwide. The event will be held for the tenth time in the Ostrava Indoor Arena, which has hosted numerous Olympic, World, and European Championship medalists since 2017. Some of them return regularly to the Czech Indoor Gala, including the first stars announced for the upcoming edition.
The Czech Indoor Gala undoubtedly enhances the prestige of Czech athletics worldwide, as confirmed by Libor Varhaník, President of the Czech Athletics Federation:
“After the successful European Indoor Championships held eleven years ago in Prague, we decided to organize a prestigious international indoor meeting on Czech soil. Our primary philosophy is to give our athletes the chance to compete against top international rivals. However, we don’t want to rely only on one or two stars. What matters to us are the stories and duels that entertain Czech athletics fans. The fact that we are now, for the third year, among the world’s eight most prestigious indoor meetings proves that we in the Czech Republic know how to organize athletics. It’s an honor for me to present this great event, which was even rated the best of all last year. I encourage everyone who enjoys exciting athletics to get their tickets soon—last year’s edition sold out quickly,” said Varhaník.
Ticket sales for the Czech Indoor Gala 2026 officially began on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at 11:11 a.m. via the Ticketportal network.
Staněk to Face Star Thrower Fabbri and Olympic Medalist Campbell
The men’s shot put is traditionally one of the highlights of the meeting, and this year will be no exception. Local fans will be cheering for Czech record holder Tomáš Staněk. The athlete, coached by Petr Stehlík, had a successful season—winning a bronze medal at the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, his fifth consecutive medal from that event. Despite a difficult injury, he still made the final at the World Championships in Tokyo and will be eager to add to his previous Ostrava victories from 2018 and 2021.
“The Czech Indoor Gala is the biggest indoor meeting in our country, and the Ostrava crowd is wild—that’s something we athletes love. The organizers always give me tough opponents, but I welcome that. I’d rather finish third or fourth with a good performance than win with a mediocre one,” said Staněk.
Tomáš will face elite competition, including Leonardo Fabbri, the reigning European champion and bronze medalist from this year’s Tokyo Worlds, who topped the 2024 world rankings with an impressive throw of 22.82 m and holds an Italian national record of 22.98 m. Fabbri has competed at the Czech Indoor Gala twice before. Last year, he finished fifth in his first meet of the season—a result he will surely want to improve.
“I’m happy to announce that I’ll be competing again in Ostrava at the upcoming Czech Indoor Gala. I’m really looking forward to going head-to-head with my friend Tomáš Staněk,” said Fabbri.
“I’m always glad when Leonardo competes. Together with Zane Weir, they form a great Italian duo. We get along well, and Leonardo is a top competitor—but I’ll be at home, and I know how to perform here. We’ll see how it goes,” replied Staněk.
Also joining the elite field will be Rajindra Campbell, the Jamaican Olympic bronze medalist from Paris and national record holder with a mark of 22.31 m.
Šutej Aiming for Sixth Victory, Švábíková Hoping for Redemption After Tokyo
Pole vaulter Amálie Švábíková has competed at the Czech Indoor Gala every year since 2018. The athlete, coached by Jiřina Kudličková, enjoyed a highly successful season, finishing sixth at the European Indoors, fifth at the World Indoors, and winning the European Team Championships. Her best performance came at the World Championships in Tokyo, where she narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth with a season’s best of 4.75 m.
Her best results at the Czech Indoor Gala came in 2023 and 2024, finishing second both times—each time behind experienced Slovenian Tina Šutej, who also edged her out for fourth place at the Tokyo Worlds.
“Even though I didn’t win a medal last season, I still consider it a success. The preparation started with a small setback due to some Achilles issues, but it’s nothing serious, and there’s plenty of time before the indoor season. The Czech Indoor Gala is a world-class event, and the Czech fans are amazing. They always push me to perform at my best,” said the Czech record holder.
Tina Šutej has already left a lasting mark on the Czech Indoor Gala, having won it five times, including the last three editions in a row. Now 36, she enters the 2026 season full of confidence after winning a world outdoor bronze and silver medals at both the European and World Indoor Championships—her third European indoor silver overall.
“I’m really looking forward to another Czech Indoor Gala, where I’ve competed many times. I’m sure Amálie and I will have another great battle,” said the experienced Slovenian.
“I admire Tina a lot and look forward to facing her again. I knew she’d be back, and I’d love to get my revenge in front of the home crowd after Tokyo,” added Švábíková.
Photo: ČAS – Jan Houska