Czech athletics federation announces a ‘micro-meeting’ series which is set to feature stars such as Barbora Spotakova and Pavel Maslak

Some Czech athletes will be able to return to competitive action in June as the Czech athletics federation has announced a ‘micro-meeting’ series of six events.

The country’s government is set to allow gatherings of up to 50 people from May 25 and the first athletics meeting is due to take place in Kladno on June 1, with the action to be shown by Czech national broadcaster CT.

World javelin record-holder Barbora Spotakova, three-time world and European indoor 400m champion Pavel Maslak and world indoor shot put medallist Tomas Stanek are among the entries for the first meeting, as the programme includes women’s javelin, men’s shot put and men’s 300m competition.

“I’m really looking forward to the first competition, even if it is in a limited mode,” European Athletics quoted Spotakova as saying.

“I believe competing is always something more than training.

“I am glad we will be with many other athletes throughout the Czech Republic at the start of the season together, although more or less symbolically, distant.”

The five other micro-meetings are yet to be confirmed but will include other disciplines.

As part of the Czech athletics federation’s ‘Back to the Track’ initiative, a further 100 events at least will also be held for children and young athletes across the country.

“Athletes want to compete as soon as possible and our federation has found a way to arrange the events with a limited number of fifty people. There will be six micro-meetings during June with the participation of the top Czech athletes in various places around the country,” said Libor Varhanik, president of the Czech athletics federation, quoted by European Athletics.

“To arrange competitions for elite athletes is not the only aim of the initiative.

“We want to engage athletes of all age categories and performance levels, to encourage organisers across the country to return to their stadiums, albeit with limited conditions so far. That’s why we are jumping in together on 1 June at one hundred and more athletics stadiums under the slogan ‘Back on the Track’. We are calling on the regions as well as clubs to get involved in the initiative.”