The world of indoor athletics shifts its focus to Torun, Poland, this Friday, as the World Athletics Indoor Championships begin a three-day run. Following successful indoor championships in Glasgow 2024 and a rescheduled Nanjing 2025, the event marks a return to Europe and promises a compelling showcase of talent. A remarkable number of stars have accepted the challenge, setting the stage for an intense competition.
Nine Olympic champions from Paris 2024 are slated to compete, alongside eleven gold medalists from the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, and twelve defending champions from the 2025 Nanjing event. But the spotlight will undoubtedly be on Armand Duplantis, the Swedish pole vault sensation, who returns to the city where his record-breaking journey began.
Duplantis, fresh off a leap of 6.31 meters – his 15th world record in the pole vault – fondly remembers Torun as the site of his first world record. “Torun is a very special place for me, as that’s where I broke my first world record,” Duplantis said, recalling his 6.17-meter vault in February 2020 that surpassed Renaud Lavillenie’s previous mark by a single centimeter. “I’ve been lucky enough to break a few since then, but the first is always a moment that changes your life.”
The men’s pole vault competition is shaping up to be a highlight of the championships. The emergence of Emmanouil Karalis, with a vault of 6.17 meters this winter, has injected a new level of competition into events featuring Duplantis. Remarkably, five competitors have cleared six meters or more, signaling a high standard of performance.
Whereas Duplantis aims to reach even greater heights, Keely Hodgkinson will be looking to continue her blistering pace on the track. The British athlete recently shattered the 800-meter record, clocking a time of 1:54.87 in Lievin on February 19th, eclipsing Jolanda Ceplak’s longstanding record of 1:55.82 set in 2002. Hodgkinson, an Olympic champion, is seeking her first World Indoor Championship gold medal.
Beyond these stars, the championships will feature established champions and rising talents. Yulimar Rojas, the Olympic champion in the triple jump, is back in form after recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture. She aims to reclaim her dominance in the event. Bozhidar Saraboyukov, a 21-year-old Bulgarian athlete, is also one to watch, boasting impressive marks of 8.45 meters in the long jump, 16.61 meters in the triple jump, and 2.28 meters in the high jump. He will compete in the long jump in Torun, where he holds the best mark among the participants.
The competition will also see defending champions Jeremiah Azu (60 meters), Woo Sanghyeok (high jump), Mattia Furlani (long jump), Andy Díaz (triple jump), Tom Walsh (shot place), Freweyni Hailu (3000 meters), Devynne Charlton (60 meters hurdles), Nicola Olyslagers (high jump), Marie-Julie Bonnin (pole vault), Leyanis Pérez (triple jump), and Sarah Mitton (shot put) all vying for gold. Other notable athletes include Olympic champions Julien Alfred (60 meters) and Yaroslava Mahuchikh (high jump), and world champion Josh Kerr (3,000 meters).
Spanish Contenders
The Spanish team arrives in Torun with a squad of 22 athletes, with Enrique Llopis, Marta García, and Mohamed Attaoui leading the charge. Llopis, a specialist in the 60-meter hurdles, set a new Spanish record of 7.45 seconds this winter and enters the competition in excellent form. He’s aiming to improve upon his fourth-place finishes at both the Paris Games and the Tokyo World Championships.
Marta García has also demonstrated strong form, breaking the Spanish record in the 3,000 meters with a time of 8:34.28 in Lievin, positioning her as a contender. Mohamed Attaoui is expected to perform well in the 800 meters, a highly competitive event where qualifying for the final will be the initial focus.
The World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun promise a thrilling spectacle of athletic prowess. With a stellar lineup of competitors and a history of record-breaking performances, the event is poised to deliver memorable moments for fans around the globe. The championships run from Friday through Sunday, offering three days of intense competition.
