Field stars and sprint showdowns set for Belgrade Indoor Meeting

Global medallists across the jumps, throws and sprints will be in action at the Belgrade Indoor Meeting – a World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold fixture – at the Serbian capital’s Atletska dvorana on Wednesday (11).

One of the highlights of the programme will be the men’s shot put, where a deep international field brings together world and continental medallists.

In-form US thrower Jordan Geist, who has produced a world-leading 22.04m in two separate competitions this year, takes on a high-quality field that includes world indoor silver medallist Roger Steen, Mexico’s world silver medallist Uziel Muñoz, 2022 world bronze medallist Josh Awotunde, European indoor silver medallist Wiktor Petersson, three-time African champion Chukwu Enekwechi and 2022 European silver medallist Armin Sinancevic of Serbia.

The World Indoor Tour has already had several close contests in the men’s long jump this year, and that trend looks set to continue in Belgrade.

Miltiadis Tentoglou, winner of numerous global and European titles, takes on European indoor champion Bozhidar Saraboyukov of Bulgaria, who recently jumped a world-leading 8.39m PB in Metz. Sweden’s Thobias Montler – a multiple medallist at major indoor championships – and Japan’s Shunsuke Izumiya, fourth at the 2025 World Indoor Championships, add further depth.

Tentoglou still holds the meeting record with his 8.25m from 2022, but he’ll be out for redemption after finishing fourth in Belgrade last year in a competition won by Montler.

On the track, the women’s 800m brings together Diamond League champion Audrey Werro, who has won both of her races so far this year, world indoor champion Prudence Sekgodiso of South Africa and world indoor bronze medallist Patricia Silva of Portugal.

Sprints and hurdles take centre stage

The women’s 60m features European indoor champion Zaynab Dosso alongside world 200m silver medallist Amy Hunt and 2021 European indoor champion Ajla Del Ponte. Belgian record-holder Rani Rosius is also entered, as are Jael Bestue of Spain and Australia’s Torrie Lewis, both of whom impressed over 200m in Metz on Sunday.

Several accomplished 200m runners step down in distance for the men’s 60m. Joshua Hartmann, the German 200m record-holder, lines up alongside European 200m champion Timothé Mumenthaler of Switzerland and South Africa’s 2023 World University Games 200m champion Tsebo Matsoso. They will face strong opposition from Italy’s 2023 European indoor champion Samuele Ceccarelli and Ireland’s Bori Akinola.

World bronze medallist Grace Stark opened her 2026 campaign in Karlsruhe on Sunday with a 7.86 victory in the 60m hurdles. In Belgrade the US athlete will take on compatriot Alaysha Johnson, who has been a consistent performer on this year’s World Indoor Tour.

Poland’s European indoor champion Jakub Szymanski heads the men’s 60m hurdles field after an unbeaten start to his season, having won all six of his races so far this year across heats and finals. He faces a strong US contingent that includes world and Olympic medallist Daniel Roberts, Jamal Britt – who was third in Boston and Madrid, clocking a PB of 7.51 in the latter – and Eric Edwards, runner-up in Ostrava.

South Africa’s Tshepo Tshite, a former 800m specialist, had never contested the 3000m indoors before this year. In two races last week, he set a national short-track record of 7:38.17 when finishing second in Ostrava, then won in Madrid in 7:39.11.

The 29-year-old will start as favourite when he races the distance again in Belgrade, where he’ll face Kenya’s Ishmael Kipkirui, fourth over 10,000m at last year’s World Championships, and Ethiopia’s Hailemariyam Amare, the 2022 African champion at both 5000m and steeplechase.

Serbian stars lead women’s jumps

Home fans will have plenty to cheer in the women’s field events.

Serbia’s Ivana Španović, the 2023 world champion in the long jump, has made notable recent progress in the latest chapter of her career, now specialising in the triple jump. At the end of January, competing in the same arena where the Belgrade Indoor Meeting will be held, the 35-year-old set a national indoor record of 14.41m.

She will be keen to continue that momentum in Belgrade as she takes on a field that includes Sweden’s Maja Åskag, another athlete who excels at both horizontal jumps.

Angelina Topić is another Serbian jumper who has started her season well. The world bronze medallist opened her 2026 campaign with an indoor PB of 1.98m, equalling her own outright national record. The 20-year-old will face Ukraine’s 2021 Olympic bronze medallist Iryna Gerashchenko, who recently returned to action after a maternity break, 2024 world indoor bronze medallist Lia Apostolovski and European U20 champion Lilianna Batori.

In the women’s long jump, Serbia’s home hope Milica Gardasevic takes on 2023 world bronze medallist Alina Rotaru-Kottmann, 2022 world bronze medallist Leticia Oro and Burkina Faso’s Marthe Koala.