All you need to know about this weekend’s big event in Nanjing, China
Following hot on the heels of the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, the World Indoor Championships takes place this week from March 21-23 in Nanjing, China, with 576 athletes from 127 countries, including 20 Olympic medallists, ready to compete.
British team: Amy Hunt (60m); Amber Anning (400m); Georgia Hunter Bell (1500m); Revee Walcott-Nolan (1500m); Molly Caudery (pole vault); Funminiyi Olajide (long jump); Jeremiah Azu (60m); Andy Robertson (60m); Adam Fogg (1500m); Neil Gourley (1500m); Scott Lincoln (shot put)
Timetable and results here.
How to watch it: Across European territories, fans can watch the championship via Eurovision Sport here. For UK viewers the event is live on BBC TV, iPlayer and website. The Nanjing time difference is GMT +8.
Men
60m: Jeremiah Azu of Britain will hope to add the world title to his European crown and he faces Akani Simbine of South Africa, Ronnie Baker of the United States and indoor debutant Lachlan Kennedy of Australia.
400m: Neither of last year’s one-two in Glasgow – Alexander Doom and Karsten Warholm – are in Nanjing so there will be a new champion with contenders such as Christopher Bailey of the United States, Rusheen McDonald of Jamaica, Attila Molnar of Hungary and Christopher Morales Williams of Canada.
800m: Josh Hoey of the United States has made a name for himself this year with North American records and in Nanjing he will face Eliott Crestan of Belgium, Mark English of Ireland and European indoor champion Samuel Chapple of the Netherlands.
1500m: Jakob Ingebrigtsen will be strong favourite after setting a world record earlier this year. Among his rivals, though, is Samuel Tefera, the Ethiopian who out-kicked him to win this title in 2022.
3000m: Ingebrigtsen tackles this final before the 1500m final and faces Ethiopian trio Berihu Aregawi, Biniam Mehary and Getnet Wale.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Getty)
60m hurdles: Grant Holloway will be one of the strongest favourites of the championships with fellow American Cameron Murray and European indoor winner Jakob Szymanski of Poland among those chasing him.
High jump: Oleh Doroshchuk of Ukraine leads the rankings with 2.34m, which he set when winning the European indoor title. Fourth in the World Indoors 12 months ago, he faces, among others, reigning world indoor and Olympic champion Hamish Kerr of New Zealand.
Pole vault: After setting his 11th world record this year in Clermont-Ferrand with 6.27m, can anyone beat Mondo Duplantis of Sweden?
Mondo Duplantis (Getty)
Long jump: Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece, Mattia Furlani of Italy, Tajay Gayle of Jamaica and European indoor champion Bozhidar Saraboyukov of Bulgaria are among the contenders.
Triple jump: Andy Díaz Hernández won the European indoor title and leads the world rankings but he will face reigning world indoor champion Hugues Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso among others.
Shot put: Italian duo Leonardo Fabbri and Zane Weir lead the rankings in the absence of defending champion Ryan Crouser. Adrian Piperi leads the US challenge with European indoor champion Andrei Rares Toader of Romania also in the mix.
Heptathlon: Sander Skotheim of Norway has set a European record this year and won gold in Apeldoorn.
Women
60m: Zaynob Dosso leads the rankings with an Italian record of 7.01 when winning the European indoor title ahead of Mujinga Kambundji and Ewa Swoboda, all of whom compete in Nanjing.
400m: After disqualification at the European Indoor Champs, Amber Anning will be aiming to make the podium here and her rivals include Henriette Jaeger of Norway and Alexis Holmes of the United States with European indoor winner Lieke Klaver missing.
800m: Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia is the defending champion, Olympic silver medallist and leads the world rankings this year.
1500m: Gudaf Tsegay, Diribe Welteji and Worknesh Mesele form a strong Ethiopian entry with Susan Ejore of Kenya, Georgia Hunter Bell of Britain and Shelby Houlihan of the United States hoping to make the podium, the latter returning from a doping ban.
Freweyni Hailu leads Gudaf Tsegay (Getty)
3000m: Freweyni Hailu won the 1500m in Glasgow last year and here in the longer event will be joined by fellow Ethiopian Birke Haylom. Look out too for Jess Hull of Australia, Sarah Healy of Ireland and Shelby Houlihan of the United States.
60m hurdles: Europeans Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland, Nadine Visser of Netherlands and Pia Skrzyszowska of Poland are up against Americans Grace Stark, Christina Clemons and Amber Hughes, plus Ackera Nugent of Jamaica.
Yaroslava Mahuchikh (Getty)
High jump: Yaroslava Mahuchikh is the Olympic champion and world record-holder although she was beaten in this event 12 months ago by Nicola Olyslagers of Australia, the latter of whom will be making her season’s debut in Nanjing.
Pole vault: Molly Caudery has a world title to defend but is she fully fit after having withdrawn from the European Indoor Champs?
Long jump: No Olympic medallists but plenty of up-and-coming talents in this event, led by Anthaya Charlton of Bahamas, the sister of sprint hurdles world record-holder Devynne Charlton, who jumped 6.98m recently.
Triple jump: Ana Peleteiro-Compaoré of Spain won the European indoor crown recently but the rankings are led by Cuba’s Leyanis Pérez and Liadagmis Povea. Olympic and world indoor champion Thea LaFond of Dominica will be favourite, though.
Shot put: World indoor champion Sarah Mitton of Canada and European gold medallist Jessica Schilder of the Netherlands face Chase Jackson of the United States, Lijiao Gong of China and Auriel Dongmo of Portugal.
Pentathlon: Saga Vanninen of Finland won silver last year and is in form to go one better in Nanjing after taking European indoor gold already this year.
Keep an eye on the AW website and social media this weekend for news and interviews.
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