Johannes Floors impresses at Tokyo dress rehearsal in Leverkusen

If there was any question mark about Johannes Floors ahead of Tokyo 2020, the German sprinter left no room for doubt in his final international event before the trip to Japan in August. 

Floors smashed his own men’s 200m T62 world record clocking 21.04 at the Leverkusen Para Athletics International on Friday (25 June) in Germany. 

The sprinter missed the European Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland earlier in June and saw Dutch blade runner Levi Vloet take gold in the 200m. This time, Vloet had to settle for bronze (23.31) with his compatriot and 100m T64 European champion Olivier Hendriks taking silver (22.21).

“Breaking the world record is always something great,” Floors said after the race in his home track at Bayer Leverkusen. “I didn’t expect that, but running that fast gives me confidence to be even better in Tokyo.”

Floors also competed in the men’s 100m T64 finishing second (10.91) behind teammate Felix Streng (10.72). Hendriks was third (11.31).

Friday’s event was also the last one for other German and international Para athletics stars before Tokyo 2020. 

In the men’s long jump multiclass event, Markus Rehm jumped over 8m again (8.02m) to top the podium with compatriot Leon Schaffer in second (7.00m) and Greece’s Stylianos Malakopoulos (6.66m) in third place.

In one of the closest contested races in Leverkusen, Netherlands’s Marlene van Gansewinkel won the women’s 100m T64 (12.80) only 0.03 ahead of teammate Fleur Jong and 0.04 in front of third place, Dubai 2019 world champion Irmgard Bensusan of Germany.

European champion with a world record in the women’s long jump, Jong won the multiclass event on Friday’s meeting (5.76m).

Switzerland’s European double silver medallist Elena Kratter was third in the long jump (4.66m) and triumphed in the women’s 100m T63 with a personal best (15.13) that put her among the medal contenders for Tokyo. 

“I can’t believe this time, I really didn’t expect it. I am super happy,” said Kratter who could not hold her tears after the race.

Silver medallist in Bydgoszcz 2021 the women’s 200m T36, Germany’s Nicole Nicoleitzik won the race in Leverkusen (31.15) ahead of Dutch sprinter Cheyenne Bouthoorn (31.73) – bronze in the same event in the Euros.

Complete results from Leverkusen 2021 can be found here.