Ostrava (Czech Republic) (AFP)

The Norwegian Karsten Warholm, two-time world champion in the 400m hurdles, arrives in Ostrava (Czech Republic) on Tuesday in dazzling form, with the goal of setting the old world record for American Kevin Young.

On August 23 in Stockholm, Warhom came close to the feat by finishing nine hundredths of a second from the record set in August 1992 at the Barcelona Games, (46.87 against 46.78), with the second best world performance in history.

And again, the 24-year-old Norwegian had hit the 10th and final hurdle, suggesting that he had Kevin Young's time in his legs.

While he had not necessarily planned to run again in this season truncated by the new coronavirus pandemic (Olympic Games postponed to 2021, Euro canceled), Warholm was added to the program of the Ostrava meeting only on Wednesday, offering him a new opportunity to inscribe his name in the history of his sport.

"I am extremely serious about health precautions," said the Norwegian on his arrival in the Czech Republic on Sunday, "it was a very important negotiating subject."

"I will try to go even faster again," he added.

The conditions for a fast stopwatch seem met as the weather promises to be clear and 5,000 people will be allowed in the stadium, divided into 10 sections of 500 people.

Scheduled for the end of the meeting at 8:35 p.m., the 400 m hurdles will not be the only very high level competition in Ostrava.

The triple jump will pit Christian Taylor against Pedro Pablo Pichardo and Hugues-Fabrice Zango, the new world record holder of the hour Sifan Hassan will line up for 5,000 m, and the Olympic weight champion Ryan Crouser, very fit, will try to s '' approach the mythical 23 m barrier.

On the French side, Renaud Lavillenie goes on to pole vault against the American Sam Kendricks, the best European performer of the season Benjamin Robert is expected over 800 m, like Jimmy Gressier and Pierrik Jocteur-Monrozier over 1,500 m.

© 2020 AFP