Preview: Liévin Indoor Meeting Set for Fireworks with Star-Studded Lineup

Wednesday, 12 February 2025

Some of the world’s top track and field stars are set to take center stage at the Meeting Hauts de France Pas de Calais Trophées EDF in Liévin on Thursday, February 13. With a sold-out crowd packing the Stade Couvert, the highly anticipated event will feature global champions Grant Holloway, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Gudaf Tsegay, and Katie Moon, each aiming to deliver standout performances. As one of the premier stops on the indoor athletics circuit, Liévin promises thrilling competition and electrifying displays of speed, endurance, and technique from some of the sport’s biggest names. Check out our detailed event-by-event statistical preview of the meeting below.

Men’s 60 Metres Hurdles:

Grant Holloway is aiming for his fifth consecutive victory in the men’s 60m hurdles in Liévin. The Olympic champion and three-time world champion set the meeting record of 7.32 in 2021 and has since dominated the event, winning in 7.35 (2022), 7.39 (2023), and 7.32 (2024, equalling his record). Holloway recently improved his world indoor record to 7.27 at the US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque and secured his second world indoor gold medal in Glasgow with 7.29. His outdoor accolades include three world titles (Doha 2019, Eugene 2022, Budapest 2024) and an Olympic gold medal in Paris 2024.

Holloway will face stiff competition from Jakub Szymanski of Poland, who has demonstrated impressive form this season with victories in Luxembourg (7.41), Val de Reuil (7.46), Lodz (7.39 – fastest in Europe this year), and Düsseldorf (7.51).

Men’s Mile:

Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the Olympic and world 5000m champion, will make his indoor mile debut in Liévin. The Norwegian sensation holds the world indoor 1500m record (3:30.60) from this very venue and is now setting his sights on Yared Nuguse’s world indoor mile record of 3:46.63 and Josh Kerr’s European record of 3:48.87. Ingebrigtsen has had a stellar year, winning Olympic gold in the 5000m, securing two European titles (1500m & 5000m), and setting records in the 1500m (3:26.73) and 3000m (7:17.55).

He will face Sam Prakel (USA), world road mile bronze medallist in 2023; Elliot Giles (GBR), the second-fastest indoor 800m runner in history (1:43.63); and Kenya’s Festus Lagat, who boasts a mile PB of 3:53.45.

Women’s 3000 Metres:

Ethiopian star Gudaf Tsegay returns to Liévin, the venue where she set the world 1500m indoor record (3:53.09) in 2021. She has since won four events at this meeting – the mile (2022), 1500m (2023), and 3000m (2024) with a blistering 8:17.11 (third-fastest time ever). Tsegay holds a 3000m PB of 8:16.69 and narrowly missed Genzebe Dibaba’s world record. She also set the 5000m world record (14:00.21) in Eugene and claimed two world titles (5000m in Eugene 2022, 10,000m in Budapest 2023).

Her competition includes compatriots Freweyni Hailu and Birke Haylom, as well as Italy’s Nadia Battocletti. Hailu won the World Indoor Tour 3000m race in Ostrava with the world’s best time this season (8:24.17), and Haylom holds the African U20 1500m record (3:53.22) and the U20 world mile record (4:17.13). Battocletti, the double European champion (5000m & 10,000m), holds an Italian 3000m indoor record of 8:41.32.

Men’s 3000 Metres:

World road 5km champion Hagos Gebrhiwet will face two-time world indoor 1500m champion Samuel Tefera, Olympic steeplechase finalist Getnet Wale, U20 10,000m world record holder Biniam Mehary, and Kuma Girma (PB: 7:31.78). Gebrhiwet, an Olympic 5000m bronze medallist (2016), recently clocked the second-fastest 5000m in history (12:36.73) in Oslo. Mehary set a 10,000m U20 world record (26:37.93) and finished sixth in the 5000m at the Paris Olympics.

Women’s 1500 Metres:

Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji headlines a strong field featuring compatriots Tigist Girma, Habitam Alemu, and Worknesh Mesele. Welteji, the 1500m world silver medallist (Budapest 2023), finished fourth at the Paris Olympics (3:52.75). Girma recently set a PB of 3:58.79 in Torun, while Alemu, a four-time world indoor finalist, placed third in Karlsruhe last week. Italy’s Marta Zenoni, fresh off breaking Gabriella Dorio’s Italian indoor 1500m record (4:03.59), will also compete.

Women’s Pole Vault:

Olympic and world champion Katie Moon makes her fourth appearance in Liévin, seeking her third career win at this meeting. Moon, the 2021 Olympic champion, has already set the world lead (4.82m) at the Millrose Games. She will face Molly Caudery (GBR), the 2024 world indoor champion (4.80m); Alysha Newman (CAN), Olympic bronze medallist (4.85m); and Tina Sutej (SLO), a two-time world indoor silver medallist.

Men’s Pole Vault:

USA’s Christopher Nilsen leads a strong field that includes Sam Kendricks (USA) and Ernest John Obiena (PHI). Nilsen, the Olympic silver medallist (2021), set the world lead (6.01m) in Caen and holds a PB of 6.05m. Kendricks, Paris Olympic silver medallist, cleared 6.00m last year, while Obiena, a two-time world medallist, placed fourth in Paris with 5.90m.

Men’s 200 Metres:

Erriyon Knighton returns to Liévin after winning in 20.21 on his indoor debut. The world silver medallist (Budapest 2023) and Olympic finalist (Tokyo 2021, Paris 2024) will take on Alexander Ogando (DOM) and Erik Erlandsson (SWE, world leader with 20.43).

Women’s 400 Metres:

Dutch star Lieke Klaver leads the women’s 400m after securing Olympic gold in the mixed 4x400m relay and European bronze. Klaver holds the world lead (50.92) and recently won in Metz (51.70). She faces Nigeria’s Rosey Effiong and GBR’s Laviai Nielsen.

Men’s Shot Put:

Leonardo Fabbri returns to Liévin after breaking the Italian indoor record (22.37m) here. The world silver medallist and European champion will face his training partner Zane Weir (22.06m) and Olympic bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell (22.15m).

This star-studded event promises thrilling performances across all disciplines, with world-class athletes aiming for records and titles in a sold-out Stade Couvert in Liévin.