Femke Bol in the 400m heats at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow (© Dan Vernon)
After an action-packed first day of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24, the excitement continues with nine finals on Saturday (2).
The first gold up for grabs is in the men’s long jump, while the women’s 60m closes competition on day two.
Here are five expected highlights.
Record-breaker Bol
What can Femke Bol do in the women’s 400m? The world 400m hurdles champion took her own world indoor 400m record to 49.24 at the Dutch Championships on 18 February – an improvement of 0.02 on the mark she set on the same track 12 months prior.
The 24-year-old now targets her first world indoor title, having claimed two silver medals – in the 400m and 4x400m – two years ago in Belgrade.
How fast will she go?
It could be a Dutch one-two, with Bol joined by Lieke Klaver, who sits No.2 on this season’s top list with the 50.10 she ran at the national championships.
Alfred aims to make history
St Lucia’s Julien Alfred has the chance to become the first athlete from her country to win a world indoor medal.
She’ll be going for gold in the women's 60m.
The 22-year-old is the only woman in the world so far this year to have dipped under 7.00 thanks to the 6.99 she ran at the Millrose Games.
Her national record of 6.94 set last year sees her sit joint second on the all-time list alongside Aleia Hobbs of the US – who is among her rivals in Glasgow.
Add Poland’s Ewa Swoboda, No.2 this year on 7.01, into the mix and things point to a thrilling battle for the title.
Holloway all the way?
Grant Holloway hasn’t lost a 60m hurdles race in 10 years; his last defeat was in 2014, when he finished second as a 16-year-old at the US High School Indoor Nationals in New York.
He’s now a three-time world 110m hurdles champion, the defending men’s 60m hurdles champion and the world record-holder, and he recently improved that record to 7.27 in the heats at the US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque.
He believes there’s more to come.
“I think there's always room for improvement, especially in the hurdles – you can always pinpoint somewhere to find an extra millisecond from,” he said. “I'm in great shape right now, and I think the sky is the limit.”
Competitive pole vault clash
The women’s pole vault looks set to be quite the contest.
The Olympic and world champion goes up against the two-time defending champion, the world leader and three other athletes who have also surpassed 4.80m already this season.
Britain’s Molly Caudery tops the world list with 4.86m, while New Zealand’s Eliza McCartney has soared 4.84m. USA’s Katie Moon has the benefit of great experience thanks to her Olympic and world title wins, as does her compatriot Sandi Morris, the two-time world indoor champion.
Alysha Newman and Wilma Murto are the two other athletes in the field to have soared 4.80m or higher this season. It remains to be seen who will finish top of the list this time around.
A second crown for Kerr?
After winning the world 1500m title at the World Championships in Budapest, Britain’s Josh Kerr now goes for 3000m gold in front of a home crowd.
He’ll have the advantage of strong support but will face formidable opposition as he hunts for a second global crown.
Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega defends his title and the Olympic 10,000m champion heads the 2024 list, having run a 7:25.82 PB at the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Torun.
He’ll be joined by his compatriot Getnet Wale, the Olympic and world 3000m steeplechase fourth-place finisher, while the field also features USA’s Yared Nuguse, the North American indoor record-holder at 1500m, one mile and 3000m.
It’s all to race for.
