On Sunday, February 8, 2026, top international athletics will return to the Helmut-Körnig-Halle: The Sparkassen Indoor Meeting Dortmund will also focus on the men's 400-meter competition. From a German perspective, all eyes will be on Jean Paul Bredau (VfL Wolfsburg). The European Championship finalist already has an absolute top time of 44.96 seconds under his belt – and also started 2026 with a strong indoor performance: at a meeting in Luxembourg last weekend, he set a new indoor best time of 45.94 seconds right at the start of the season.
Jonathan Sacoor (Belgium) is providing international star power. The 400-meter specialist not only has a personal best of 44.98 seconds, but also an impressive list of titles: Sacoor is a two-time indoor world champion and two-time European champion, both with the Belgian 4x400-meter relay team – making him one of the most renowned names in European long-distance sprinting.
The competition will also be exciting thanks to several athletes who represent the next generation. 18-year-old Tomáš Horák (Czechia) is considered one of the most promising young talents and has already clocked 46.12 seconds. Marcin Karolewski (Poland) underlined his class in 2025 with a time of 45.92 seconds, among other things, and ran in the 400-meter final at the FISU World University Games, where he even won the title with the 4x400-meter relay team. Matteo Raimondi (Italy), a U23 European relay champion, is also in the line-up, having already clocked 46.42 seconds on the two indoor tracks.
There is also further quality at national level: Florian Kroll (LG Osnabrück) is the reigning German indoor champion and one of the most exciting German names in the 400 meters. At his side is Fabian Dammermann (LG Osnabrück), last year's winner of the Sparkassen Indoor Meeting, where he set a new indoor best time of 46.71 seconds.
And behind them, the field remains highly interesting: Patrik Dömötör, the Slovakian indoor record holder (46.61 seconds), will be competing at the Helmut-Körnig-Halle. Ericsson Tavares (Portugal) came sixth in the 2024 European Championships with his country's 4x400-meter relay team. And Norway's Andreas Kulseng impressed last year as national champion in the 200 meters.
Tickets for the Sparkassen Indoor Meeting Dortmund 2026 are available online at reservix.de and at all advance sales outlets connected to the Reservix system. Standing room tickets are available from 10 euros, and seats in two categories are available for 20 and 30 euros.
Bredau faces indoor world champion Sacoor: Men's 400m promises high Tension
