The Czech Indoor Gala has announced a sell-out, and the organizers have taken the opportunity to reveal the names of other major stars who will appear before the Ostrava crowd: world champion Mattia Furlani and legendary Miltiadis Tentoglou.
For the third year in a row, the Czech Indoor Gala is part of the elite group of Gold meetings within the World Athletics Indoor Tour. This status attracts big names of global athletics to Ostrava, which is also reflected in the great interest from fans—the upcoming edition sold out in record time. Athletics enthusiasts have a lot to look forward to once again, as Italian long jumper Mattia Furlani will return to the meeting after a year.
Furlani returns to defend last year’s triumph
Twenty-year-old Furlani made his debut at the Czech Indoor Gala last year, immediately taking victory with a new meeting record of 8.23 metres. It marked the beginning of a hugely successful season in which he first won silver at the European Indoor Championships, followed several weeks later by world indoor gold. The brightest moment of his career so far came in the final of the World Championships in Tokyo, where his fifth attempt earned him the world title with a personal best of 8.39 metres.
“I’m really excited to return to Ostrava to compete. It’s a great meeting, perfectly organized. Last year I had a lot of fun jumping in front of the Czech fans, so I’m really looking forward to doing it again,” Furlani said about his comeback.
Tentoglou wants to win for the fourth time
However, Furlani will not be the only world champion in the field. After two years, Greek athlete Miltiadis Tentoglou will also return to the Czech Indoor Gala — a man who has won every achievable title in his discipline.
The Greek legend is a two-time Olympic champion, a world champion outdoors, has two world indoor gold medals, and three continental titles both indoors and outdoors. His collection also includes a Diamond League trophy. He boasts an impressive personal best of 8.65 meters.
Tentoglou has already managed to dominate the Czech Indoor Gala three times in the past — in 2018, 2020, and 2024. In total, this will be his fifth appearance at the meeting.
„This will be my 5th Ostrava Indoor as you see, I am coming every second year since 2018 so a good start to the season would bet he best thing for the moment. Training is going well, health is there, so I will for sure try for my fourth win at your meet. The main goal is to achieve a perfect jump at World Indoors in Torun.“
Juška and Meindlschmid are looking forward to elite opponents
The clash with two best jumpers in the discipline is also eagerly anticipated by the duo of top Czech long jumpers. Czech record holder Radek Juška has already tasted victory at the Czech Indoor Gala, claiming the win in 2021. He likes the Ostrava hall, which he confirmed again in the 2023 season, delivering a jump of 8.03 metres—finishing second only to the then-dominant Greek star Miltiadis Tentoglou. In 2025, he missed the eight-metre mark by just two centimetres, and the Ostrava runway seems ideal for him to achieve another jump starting with an eight.
“I look forward to the Czech Indoor Gala every year, because where else is it better to compete than in front of a home crowd? Mattia improves every year, so it will definitely be a great show. I think he’ll break the meeting record again. I’m also looking forward to competing with my new training partner Peťa Meindlschmid, and I don’t intend to give him anything for free. It will be a battle of generations—the young blood against me, the seasoned veteran,” Juška says.
Petr Meindlschmid made his Czech Indoor Gala debut last year, finishing sixth just behind Radek Juška. In the summer, he celebrated the title of European junior champion, which he earned in Tampere, Finland.
“I’m looking forward to the clash with Furlani just like I do to every competition with him. I’m also eager to compare form and strength not only with him but with Radek as well. It will be a good event, and I hope to deliver my best performance. Right now, my preparation is going very well and everything is on track, mainly without any health issues, so I believe it will come together,” Meindlschmid says ahead of his Ostrava start.