IAAF World Indoor Championships. Top 10 Valencia highlights – European Athletics News

There is just one day left until the World\’s best athletes meet in the beautiful Spanish city of Valencia to pit their strength, skill, speed and endurance against each other in order to claim the title of World Indoor Champion.

With 26 different events there will be no lack of entertainment, but below we have highlighted our top ten events to keep an eye on for the best action of the weekend.    

Top 10 Valencia Highlights

MEN

60m
The men\’s Sprint will certainly be one of the most controversial races of the competition if disgraced British sprinter Dwain Chambers makes it to the final, however Olusogi Fasuba (NGR), Mike Rodgers (USA), Vicente de Lima (BRA) and Kim Collins (SKM) are all lined up as \’challengees\‘, and certainly for the outspoken Mike Rodgers, there is more than a gold medal at stake in this competition.

60m Hurdles
This fast paced final is expected to see a clash between World leading Cuban Dayron Robles and Olympic and World Champion Liu Xiang that could lead to a potential World record.  Liu Xiang has prioritized this race above his political functions at home in China, so we can expect some dramatic results at this last event on Saturday.
 
High Jump
Olympic Champion Stefan Holm (SWE) v. reigning Indoor Champion and World leader Yaroslav Rybakov (RUS). Will the crowd see another 2.40m like the 2005 European Indoors in Madrid?  Both men are in excellent form going into the competition, and Rybakov has been quoted as saying that 2.40m will be necessary to win and, "I\’m ready for that height".
 
Triple Jump
This year\’s top-five jumpers are all ready to bounce into action, headed up by World Champion and current World leader Nelson Evora (POR). Evora\’s 17.33m and 17.32m jumps have been the longest this year, however there are more experienced performers ready to take on the young Portuguese challenger, like Britain\’s Philips Idowu, who has passed the 17m mark three times this year and holds the furthest Personal Best (17.56m) in the field.
 
Heptathlon
The influx of fresh new talent into the Heptathlon competition is encouraging, but must be unnerving for the old school legends and title defenders Roman Sebrle (CZE) and Bryan Clay (USA). Is it possible that current World Heptathlon lead, 22-year-old Andrey Kravchanka (BEL) could stop Sebrle from completing his World Indoor hat trick?

WOMEN

60m
At first glance this event may appear to be all about American sprinter Angela Williams who hopes to finally be promoted to gold following World Indoor silvers in both 2001 and 2003, yet recent Russian Champion Yevgeniya Polyakova ran a 7.09 in Moscow to place herself firmly amongst the World leaders in this wide open event.

Another European who would be dangerous to overlook in this contest is three-time European Indoor 60m Champion and World Indoor bronze medallist Kim Gevaert.  The feisty Belgian, who has been fighting with sickness for most of the indoor season, is now back and confident that she can perform in Valencia.  Gevaert\’s one outing in 2008 was the International meeting in Birmingham, where she clocked 7.15, only losing out on victory after a photo-finish with Williams.

1,500m
With current World record holder Yelena Soboleva (RUS), fellow Russian title defender Yulia Fomenko, reigning World Champion Maryam Jamal of Bahrain and world class Ethiopian Gelete Burka all taking to the track, this is one of the all-star events of Valencia.

Soboleva\’s sparkling form at the Russian Championships would put her as favourite to win, but the determined title defender, Fomenko also produced an inspired performance at the Russian Championships, and a win in Valencia would seem like the perfect revenge on her compatriot for piping her to the World record.

60m Hurdles
World record holder Susanna Kallur is so far unbeaten this season, holding the five fastest times of the year, she is the unquestioned favourite to win in Valencia.  The Swedish Sprint Hurdles star faces her toughest competition from the clock, but perhaps the new superfast Mondo track could help her to produce something special.
 
High Jump
European Athletics Athlete of the Year 2007 Blanka Vlasic is unbeaten since June last year, and despite injury fears early on in the season she bounced back in her last competition in Weinheim, Germany to set a new Croatian record of 2.05m and place herself firmly back on the World leader board. Before leaving for Spain the confident Croatian was quoted as saying,

"I think for gold 2.05m would be necessary. I am respecting all my competitors, but I am also aware of my abilities and shape. At all competitions I want to be the best."

A win for Olympic Champion Yelena Slesarenko (RUS) would mean a hat trick of World Indoor titles, but although the 26-year-old Russian has enjoyed a solid winter season, it is Vlasic and up-and-coming German jumper Ariane Friedrich who are hotly tipped as the ones to watch.  With such an impressive standard of competition there is always the possibility of a World record attack, either way this will definitely be a competition to look out for.
 
Pole Vault
As always the women\’s Pole Vault is amongst the highlights of any World athletics competition just so people can marvel at the outstanding achievements of Russia\’s Yelena Isinbayeva.

The 25-year-old Vaulting Queen never disappoints, and despite an uncharacteristically variable indoor season that saw the end of her unbelievable 4-year winning streak, Isinbayeva now appears to be collected and ready to attempt a World Indoor Pole Vault hat trick.

Home rival Svetlana Feofanova will be trying to make things more difficult and after her unusual victory over Isinbayeva in Poland, perhaps there will be some psychological advantages for the former World Indoor Champion.