With none of the men’s 60m finalists from the 2024 edition competing at the World Indoor Championships Nanjing 25, the stage is set for a fresh set of medallists to emerge.

Newly crowned European indoor champion Jeremiah Azu leads the charge heading into Nanjing. The Briton is undefeated so far this year, having retained his national indoor title in 6.56 before going on to win in Apeldoorn.

The Olympic 4x100m bronze medallist produced his best ever form in the Dutch city, clocking a PB of 6.52 in the semis before taking gold with a European-leading 6.49.

Henrik Larsson took silver with a Swedish indoor record of 6.52 while Azu’s teammate Andrew Robertson took bronze in 6.55. Azu now aims to become Britain’s first champion in the event since Richard Kilty struck gold in 2014.

Australian prodigy Lachlan Kennedy ran 6.43 (1.6m/s) outdoors in January, followed by a 100m PB of 10.03 at the start of this month, but Nanjing will represent his first ever indoor competition. It will also be the first time the 21-year-old has contested an individual discipline at a major championships.

Ronnie Baker’s PB of 6.40 dates back to 2018, the year he took world indoor bronze, but the US sprinter is still a force. He has won every final he has contested this year, including a season’s best run of 6.50 in Ostrava and a 6.52 victory at the US Indoor Championships.

South African 100m record-holder Akani Simbine is set to make his World Indoor Championships debut. The 31-year-old has finished in the top five over 100m at six global championships but is yet to win a medal, so he’ll be hoping for better luck in Nanjing. He made his indoor debut in February, clocking 6.57 in Berlin.

Jamaica will be ably represented by 9.91 100m sprinter Rohan Watson and rising star Nishion Ebanks. Three-time New Zealand 100m champion Tiaan Whelpton, meanwhile, will be hoping to give a good account of himself at his first World Indoors, having clocked 6.50 outdoors in January.

Ghanaian duo Ibrahim Fuseini and Barnabas Aggerh are also ones to watch.

Yemi Galadima for World Athletics

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Win probability: 1 Ronnie Baker (USA) 54.18%, 2 Akani Simbine (RSA) 17.51%, 3 Jeremiah Azu (GBR) 4.75%
(This win probability is powered entirely by data and driven by AI technology. More information)

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