Mayela, Skrzyszowska and Visser, first part of the European hurdles final in Madrid

the french Cyréna Samba-Mayela60m hurdles world champion, the Polish Pia Skrzyszowskacontinental 100 hurdles champion, and the Dutch Nadine Visserdouble champion of Europe, They will meet on February 22 in Madrid, in the sixth round of the World Athletics gold international indoor circuitwhere an anticipated final of the European Championship is expected in Istanbul in March.

After a promising career in the lower categories, the French Cyréna Samba-Mayela was crowned last year at the Indoor World Cup in Belgrade. The 22-year-old surprised the Americans and Jamaicans to win gold in the 60m hurdles in 7.78, breaking the French record in the process. So, he added a full world title to the European sub23 silver and a world sub18 silver, both outdoors.

This year, Samba-Mayela opened the season on January 28 in Nantes with a 7.95 in his best ever course start.

At just 21 years old, the Polish Pia Skrzyszowska has become a reference in European speed in 2022. At the European Championships in Munich, he won gold in the 100-meter hurdles, breaking the U23 European record with 12.51, and also silver in the 4×100 with a quartet that broke the Polish record.

This season, Skrzyszowska has started well, to the point of being the current world leader of the year with 7.78, the ninth European mark of all time, and so far she counts her four races for achievements.

In front of the youngsters of Samba-Mayela and Skrzyszowska, Dutch Nadine Visser will try to assert her experience. In 2018, he won world bronze on the indoor track in the 60-meter hurdles and in 2019 he was crowned European distance champion, a title he will validate again in 2021, when he also won the World Indoor Tour (Torun) in Madrid .

In the 2021 Torun final, Visser achieved the seventh European mark in history and the best since 2008 with 7.77, which is also a Netherlands record. An injury kept him from the Belgrade World Cup and prevented his 2022 season outside, but in 2023 he returned: he dropped eight seconds in his four races and with 7.86 he occupied the third position in the world ranking.

Third place was shared with Finnish record holder Reetta Hurske. The 27-year-old hurdler started 2023 with a personal best of 7.93 and in five of his six races he ran below that record to leave the Finnish record at 7.86.

The women’s 60 meter hurdles will also feature the two best Spanish women in recent years, Teresa Errandonea (8.00 personal best, 8.09 in 2023) and Xènia Benach (8.06, 8.14).

The Irish Sarah Lavin (7.97, 7.99) and the Dutch Zoë Sedney (7.95, 8.03), who won in Madrid in 2022, will complete the starting list.