Hellebaut and Ukhov head for Banska Bystrica

European indoor champion Ivan Ukhov of Russia.

The famous Banska Bystrica high jump meeting in Slovakia on 8 February, the 19th edition of the Europa SC High Jump meeting and a European Athletics Indoor Permit Meeting, has added further top names to its field.

In addition to the previously announced reigning world champions, United States' Jesse Williams and Russia's Ana Chicherova, as well as Italy's 2011 World Championships bronze medallist Antonietta Di Martino, the meeting organisers have signed up 2008 Olympic Games champion Tia Hellebaut and Russia's 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships gold medallist Ivan Ukhov.

Hellebaut made a magnificent comeback by going over 1.95m in Antwerp last Saturday, her first competition for nearly 18 months after giving birth to her second child early last year, although she had to settle for second place behind Chicherova, who went over 2.00m for the second time this winter.

Ukhov knows Banska Bystrca's Stiavnicky Hall very well and cleared 2.38m in 2010 and 2011 to top the world indoor rankings for the last two years.

Two of Europe's top teenage high jump talents are also going to Banska Bystrica: Italy's 2009 World Youth Championships gold medallist Alessia Trost, who improved the national junior record to 1.91m last Sunday, and Denmark's 2011 European Athletics Junior Championships silver medallist Janick Klausen, who has already cleared 2.25m this winter.

Further details of the Europa SC High Jump meeting in Banska Bystrica can be found in both Slovak and English at the event website here.

Further details of all the 2012 European Athletics Indoor Permit Meetings can be found here.