• US newcomer Jordan Anthony, world leader at 6.43, seeking first global title
• Jamaica’s world and Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson in personal best form
• Britain’s defending champion Jeremiah Azu in good order between the two sprint superpowers

Jeremiah Azu has good reason to believe in his chances of retaining the 60m title he won in Nanjing last year, having lowered his personal best to 6.47 this month.

But the 24-year-old Briton will find himself operating between two long-established power blocs in sprinting as the United States and Jamaica bring their top talents into action.

Azu is tied on the season list with Jamaica’s 22-year-old world 200m bronze medallist Bryan Levell and 30-year-old Trayvon Bromell, who won this title 10 years ago in Portland, and who helped the United States win world 4x100m gold in Tokyo last September.

Bromell has an indoor best of 6.42 and a season’s best of 6.47. 2024 world indoor bronze medallist Ackeem Blake also has a PB of 6.42, set outdoors in 2023, while his indoor PB is 6.45.

The battle for gold, however, looks likely to involve the two men who top this super-talented field – Jordan Anthony of the United States and Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson.

Anthony, 21, has made an electrifying start to his professional career after years of accolade in the NCAA 60m and 100m events. His time of 6.43, clocked in Fayetteville last month, tops this year’s world list and puts him joint ninth on the world indoor all-time list.

This month he won the 60m at the USATF Indoor Championships in 6.45, ahead of Bromell and his training partner Noah Lyles, the Olympic 100m champion, who clocked 6.51.

A couple of days earlier Thompson, the world and Olympic 100m silver medallist, had made his own statement of intent in clocking an outdoor personal best of 6.46 (0.7m/s) at the Gibson McCook Relays in Kingston, beating Levell and Blake in the process.

Eloy Benitez, meanwhile, will be seeking redemption. The Puerto Rican sprinter looked in great form when winning his heat and semifinal at last year’s World Indoors before pulling up injured in the final. This year he has reduced his PB to 6.48.

Other likely contenders include Brazil’s Eric Cardosa, who has run 6.49 this year, and New Zealand’s Tiaan Whelpton, who has clocked 6.50. Home hopes will rest with Oliwer Wdowik, who has run a personal best of 6.54 this season.

Mike Rowbottom for World Athletics

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