Since opening her season with a 7.12 victory in Belgrade, Zaynob Dosso has gone from strength to strength and now heads to Nanjing as the world leader.

The 25-year-old set her most recent Italian record when winning the 60m in 7.01 at the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn earlier this month, beating 2022 world indoor champion Mujinga Kambundji (7.02) and 2024 world indoor silver medallist Ewa Swoboda (7.07).

Nanjing will provide the opportunity for a rematch between the top four finishers at the European Indoors. Kambundji’s 7.02 clocking in Apeldoorn was the third-fastest time of her career behind the 6.96 Swiss record she clocked when winning the 2022 world indoor title and her 7.00 run to win the 2023 European indoor gold.

Swoboda got the better of Dosso and Kambundji in Lodz last month, but in Apeldoorn she was edged out of the medals by Luxembourg’s Patrizia Van Der Weken, who took bronze with a national record of 7.06. That was the first final that Van Der Weken has lost this season, so she’ll be out for revenge in Nanjing.

Other European contenders include Belgium’s Rani Rosius (7.08), Great Britain’s Amy Hunt (7.09) and Hungary’s Boglarka Takacs (7.09).

While the European presence is strong in the women’s 60m this year, there will be challengers from other corners of the world.

In absence of Jacious Sears, who ranks second globally with her 7.02 run at the Millrose Games, the USA will be represented by Celera Barnes, a 7.09 performer at her best, and 2022 world indoor silver medallist Mikiah Brisco.

Jodean Williams, the leading Jamaican entrant, has clocked 7.07 outdoors this season and 7.14 indoors. She’s joined on the team by Natasha Morrison.

The Oceanian charge, meanwhile, is led by New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs and Australian youngster Torrie Lewis.

Yemi Galadima for World Athletics

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