The Golden Spike is an annual athletics event held at the Mestsky Stadion in Ostrava, first organised in 1961.

Following his runner-up finish in 2015, Röhler won at this venue last year, throwing 87.37 metres.

Röhler followed that with further success as he took Olympic gold in the men's javelin event at Rio 2016 with a best throw of 90.30m, narrowly missing the Olympic record of 90.57m set by Norwegian Andreas Thorkildsen at Beijing 2008.

In the 2017 edition of the event, he is set to face Diamond Race winner Jakub Vadlejch and 2013 world champion Vitezslav Vesely, both of the Czech Republic.

Vadlejch finished in eighth place at Rio 2016 with a distance of 82.42m, improving on a 25th place finish at London 2012.

Vesely, meanwhile, claimed the World Championships title in the Russian capital of Moscow in 2013 as he produced an effort of 87.17m.

The 33-year-old has also been crowned European champion during his career.

Vesely, who finished in seventh place in Rio this summer, struck gold at 2012 edition of the championships in Helsinki in Finland where he won with a throw of 83.72.

Meanwhile, another leading Czech athlete, 2012 European champion Jirina Ptacnikova, has confirmed her intention to compete in the women’s pole vault.

Ptacnikova is a former European champion after she claimed gold in Helsinki four years ago.

Recent performances, however, have not been mesmerising for the 30-year-old who finished 19th at Rio 2016 and posted a no mark at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing.