Which events to watch at the World Indoor Athletics Championships 2018

Katarina Johnson-Thompson in the Women’s pentathlon
Michael Steele/Getty Images

The 2018 World Indoor Athletics Championships get under way this Friday, and Standard Sport runs you through the events you should watch out for over the coming days…

FRIDAY

Women’s pentathlon, from 10.18am

Katarina Johnson-Thompson failed to live up to expectations at the World Championships in London last summer, finishing fifth, so will be looking to make amends here. It was at the European Indoors in 2015 that she became only the second woman to break the 5,000-point barrier in the event.

Photo: Getty Images
Getty Images

Men’s long jump, 7.35pm

Greg Rutherford is missing as he tries to regain full fitness, but the event still boasts a major star in South Africa’s Luvo Manyonga, the world champion, who hasn’t been beaten in a competition since finishing second by 1cm to America’s Jeff Henderson at the Olympics in 2016.

Women’s 60m, 9.38pm

Elaine Thompson, the double Olympic champion from Rio, heads the field. But the Jamaican has no shortage of rivals, with America’s Javianne Oliver, the fastest 60m runner this season, as well as two-time world 200m champion Dafne Schippers in opposition. British hopes rest with Asha Philip, who won gold in this event at the European Indoors last year.

SATURDAY

Women’s 1,500m, 8.39pm

Laura Muir won two golds at the European Indoors last year as she doubled up over both the 3,000m and 1,500m for the first time in her career. But she faces a tough nut to crack in Genzebe Dibaba, who boasts the fastest times in the world this year over both distances.

Photo: Simon Cooper/PA
Simon Cooper/PA

Men’s 60m, 9.09pm

Christian Coleman has been the stand-out performer this season, breaking the world record with a time of 6.34sec, and the American feels he can go even faster in Birmingham. He has six of the nine quickest times in the world already in 2018 and his duel with fellow countryman Ronnie Baker should be lively. CJ Ujah has been the pick of the British sprinters in this indoor campaign but a season’s best of 6.53sec leaves him a little off the pace.

SUNDAY

Men’s 60m hurdles, 5pm

The absence of Jamaica’s Olympic and World Indoor champion Omar McLeod has boosted Andrew Pozzi’s chances of winning a medal. The 25-year-old won gold at the European Indoors last year.

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