A full house in Dusseldorf on Friday night will be treated to a pole vault duel which could have the Arena Sportpark rocking during the European Athletics Indoor Permit meeting.
In London last summer, as Frenchman Renauld Lavillenie won gold in the event, silver and bronze was the property of Germany with Björn Otto finishing second and Raphael Holzdeppe in third.
Otto and Holzdeppe come face to face again at this PSD Bank Dusseldorf meeting so close to next month’s European Athletics Indoor Championships in Göteborg where they will both be among the favourites for gold.
How they differ?
Otto is 35 while Holzdeppe is 12 years younger, yet 2012 showed age means nothing.
Firstly at the European Athletics Championships in Helsinki, Otto won silver and Holzdeppe took bronze and it was the same story two months later at the Olympic Games.
Infact, it was exactly the same top three from Helsinki to London.
In Finland, Lavillenie won with 5.97m followed by Otto’s personal best of 5.92m and Holzdeppe with 5.77m.
The French star matched his distance to take Olympic gold as Otto and Holzdeppe both finished with 5.91m.
Silver went to Otto on countback but it was close.
From: http://www.european-athletics.org/news/latest-news/533-meetings-2013/indoor-permit-meetings-2013/11733-german-duo-aim-for-pole-position.html
