What better day to put that right than on his 24th birthday? He has the farthest season’s best of the men's long jump field, thanks to the 8.25m leap he produced in Belgrade earlier this month. Miltiadis Tentoglou has already won three senior continental titles (two indoors, one outdoors) and, of course, an Olympic gold, but the Greek long jumper has not yet won a world title, indoors or out. Watch out, too, for Gabriela DeBues-Stafford, whose closing speed will be tough to beat in a tactical race. But fellow Ethiopian Ejgayehu Taye has the fastest outdoor PB of the field with the 8:19.52 national record she set last year.

The first track final of the championships, the women’s 3000m looks set to be a thriller.ĭawit Seyaum has impressed on the World Indoor Tour this year, winning in Lievin in a world-leading 8:23.24 to move to third on the world indoor all-time list. Olympic champion Pedro Pichardo, defending world indoor champion Will Claye and World Indoor Tour winner Lazaro Martinez are all entered. The first final of the championships – the men’s triple jump – will take place during Friday’s morning session. The action will kick off with the women’s pentathlon 60m hurdles, where Katarina Johnson-Thompson will attempt to retain her title as she takes on European indoor silver medallist Noor Vidts and world leader Adrianna Sulek. But four years on since the 2018 championships in Birmingham, the World Indoor Championships is ready to return.

Since the inaugural edition in 1987, the World Indoors has never had a hiatus as long as this. Here are five expected highlights on the first day of action. The first senior global track and field championships in almost three years will get underway on Friday (18) when the Serbian capital hosts the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22.

Day one outdoors