All but one finalist from the women’s 800m at last year’s edition will compete at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25, setting the stage for an exciting rematch.

Unlike last year, when Tsige Duguma arrived in Glasgow as an underdog and stunned pre-event favourite Jemma Reekie to become Ethiopia’s first world indoor champion in the women’s event, the dynamics leading into Nanjing have shifted.

Now an Olympic silver medallist, Duguma enters as the woman to beat.

With three wins in three indoor races and the only athlete in the field to break 1:59 this season, Duguma – the reigning African Games champion – will aim to extend her dominance and secure a second consecutive world indoor title.

Reekie will be absent from Nanjing, but the rest of the field promises fierce competition. 2024 bronze medallist Noelie Yarigo, along with Vivian Chebet Kiprotich, Habitam Alemu, and 2019 world champion Halimah Nakaayi will all be eager to make an impact on the outcome.

Shafiqua Maloney, who finished fourth at the Olympics last year, started 2025 in superb form, winning at the Millrose Games in 1:59.07. Since then, however, she finished ninth in Lievin and eighth in Torun. If she can recapture her early season form, she could secure the first ever global medal for St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Prudence Sekgodiso, another Olympic finalist, won in Karlsruhe with a South African indoor record of 1:59.88 then matched that time to finish second to Duguma in Lievin.

Nia Akins and Valery Tobias set PBs of 1:59.31 and 1:59.55 respectively at the US Indoor Championships last month, showing they have the potential to reach the final on what will be their World Indoor Championships debut.

Newly-crowned European indoor champion Anna Wielgosz of Poland leads the European charge. With only one defeat in eight races this season and a lifetime best of 2:00.38 set at the Polish Championships, she is a strong contender.

European indoor finalist Audrey Werro of Switzerland will also be looking to make the final after missing out in Glasgow last year.

Oceanian champion Alison Andrews-Paul of New Zealand and Australian duo Sarah Billings and Abbey Caldwell are also ones to look out for in a discipline that is often unpredictable indoors.

Yemi Galadima for World Athletics

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