1995

Milestone

The Beginning of a Success Story

With about 500 spectators in attendance, the International Sparkassen Indoor Meeting made its debut at the Helmut-Körnig-Halle. It was still a relatively small event—the beginning of a decade-long success story.

1996

Milestone

From an insider's secret to a crowd-pleaser

Right after its premiere, the meet became a crowd-pleaser. According to a retrospective by the German Athletics Association, every edition starting with the second year of the event was sold out. The event thus laid the foundation for its rise to the elite ranks of international indoor meets.

1999

Record

A world record for the history books

On February 13, Gabriela Szabo of Romania set a new indoor world record in the 5,000 meters with a time of 14:47.35. The runner-up, Tegla Loroupe of Kenya, also finished under the previous world record with a time of 14:51.69. LG Olympia Dortmund also generated excitement: Esther Möller, Gabi and Birgit Rockmeier, and Andrea Philipp ran the 4×200-meter relay in 1:32.88, setting what was then the second-fastest indoor time in history.

2000

Record

A Young Russian Makes World Record History

On January 30, Yuriy Borzakovskiy, just 18 years old, ran the 800 meters in a sensational 1:44.35, setting a U20 indoor world record. The future 2004 Athens Olympic champion finished ahead of Nils Schumann, who came in second with a time of 1:45.65 and went on to win Olympic gold in Sydney that same year.

2001

Record

Six meters and a European record

An unforgettable evening on February 11: Danny Ecker became one of the first pole vaulters in history to clear the magical six-meter mark. His jump of 6.00 meters set a new German indoor record that still stands in 2026. In the women’s competition, Svetlana Feofanova (Russia) set a European indoor record with a jump of 4.64 meters.

2002

Record

More Continental Records in Dortmund

Svetlana Feofanova returned to Dortmund and, on January 27, improved her own European indoor record in the pole vault to 4.66 meters. There was also a record in the triple jump: Brazilian Jadel Gregório jumped 16.83 meters, setting a new South American indoor record. Dieter Baumann’s comeback also drew a lot of attention; he finished just behind Ethiopian Olympic champion Million Wolde (7:47.22 minutes) in the 3,000-meter race with a time of 7:47.54 minutes.

2003

Milestone

Just 86 hundredths of a second short of the world record

On February 5, Ethiopian Berhane Adere ran the 5,000 meters in 14:48.21 minutes—just 0.86 seconds slower than Gabriela Szabo’s 1999 world record. In doing so, she set a new African indoor record and posted what was then the second-fastest time in history. Other highlights included Svetlana Feofanova’s victory in the pole vault with a jump of 4.67 meters and Melanie Skotnik’s personal best, as she surprisingly won the high jump with a jump of 1.97 meters, ahead of Anna Chicherova.

2004

Milestone

A Grand Farewell

The tenth and, for now, final edition on February 4 also featured world-class performances. Berhane Adere won the 3,000 meters in 8:33.05 minutes—the fifth-fastest indoor time ever at the time. In the pole vault, Svetlana Feofanova cleared 4.75 meters. Behind her, Germany’s Annika Becker set a new German indoor record with a jump of 4.68 meters. In the men’s competition, reigning world champion Giuseppe Gibilisco (Italy) won with a jump of 5.71 meters, setting an Italian indoor record. This edition marked the end of the first era of the Dortmund Indoor Meeting, before the event was revived in 2018.

2018

Milestone

The indoor meeting returns

LG Olympia Dortmund revived the indoor meeting, attracting around 2,150 spectators.

2023

Milestone

Sparkasse Dortmund becomes title partner

Sparkasse Dortmund has been the meeting’s title and key partner since 2023. The partnership supports international elite athletics and young talents from the region.

Learn more ↗

2026

Record

Eight new meeting records

More than 2,500 spectators witnessed an edition featuring eight new meeting records.

Explore edition ↗