Nuguse, Ealey and Tentoglou among stars as Madrid unveils mouth-watering line-ups

The men’s 1500m is set to be among the highlights at the penultimate meeting in the 2023 World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold season, as many of the world’s best athletes gather at the Gallur Municipal Sports Complex in Madrid on Wednesday (22).

Paced by one of the most well-respected pacemakers Erik Sowinski, his US compatriot Yared Nuguse will aim to maintain his momentum after convincing wins in Boston and New York. There, the 23-year-old smashed his lifetime bests to 7:28.24 and 3:47.38 for the 3000m and the mile, respectively, to set national records in both distances and move to second on the all-time list for the mile.

Despite the Madrid altitude (650m), Nuguse’s performance at the Millrose Games suggests he has a shot at attempting Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s world indoor 1500m record of 3:30.60 set last year. Yet the Louisville-born ace will face stiff opposition as his training partner Mario Garcia Romo of Spain will also be in contention, targeting the 24-year-old national record of 3:33.32. Like Nuguse, the European 1500m bronze medallist has also shown he is in the form of his life this season, clocking massive career bests of 7:34.74 and 3:51.79, the latter a national indoor mile record, also on US soil.

"Honestly, I didn’t expect the kind of times I have run this winter. It has been a nice surprise for me and also for my team," said Nuguse. "We are working well and I just hope to keep growing and going faster in the next competitions."

On the possibility of attacking the world indoor 1500m record, he added: "Definitely I think I can run 3:3-low, so if the world record is 3:30.60, why not going for it? We have to wait and see how the race develops, the splits, but I think that’s possible. I’ll be happy tomorrow after the race, whatever happens."

The star-studded cast also includes Grant Fisher of the US, fresh from a 7:35.82 indoor PB in Lievin last week, and the Spanish pair of European indoor bronze medallist Jesus Gomez (SB 3:36.33) and Adel Mechaal (3:36.55), while the newly-minted European indoor 3000m record-holder Mohamed Katir adds further strength as he has decided to join the 1500m party rather than race the longer event.

The 25-year-old Katir sliced more than six seconds from the previous 3000m record – held by Mechaal – in Lievin last Wednesday with a time of 7:24.68 that puts him second on the world all-time list. The field for the longer distance in Madrid includes Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew, who finished fourth in Lievin in 7:33.42, and Sweden’s Andreas Almgren, a 7:34.31 specialist last year. 

"I love very quick races, that’s what I enjoy most. When a race becomes a tactical affair, it makes me uneasy, I don’t feel comfortable," said Katir. "I think the Spanish record of 3:33.32 is a reachable target and the world record is less than three seconds away from that, so I think we can give the world record a scare, at least."

On his outdoor ambitions, he added: "I confess, one of my main goals is to beat Jakob Ingebrigtsen and I would also like to break the 1500m and 3000m European outdoor records. It’s true that I’ve always been focused on running fast times but when I got my first international medal in Eugene (world 1500m bronze) I realised medals are much more important than times."

Ealey to strike again

The women’s shot put contest should be of the highest calibre thanks to the presence of the whole podium from last year’s World Indoor Championships in Belgrade. Chase Ealey made a piece of history for her country last July when she became the first US thrower to win a women’s world outdoor shot put gold medal with a 20.49m heave in Oregon.

After a hesitant start to 2023, the 28-year-old exceeded the 20-metre barrier for the first time this season at the Millrose Games to grab a convincing win with a 20.03m throw, her second-farthest ever indoor performance only bettered by the 20.21m she managed in Belgrade where she landed silver behind Auriol Dongmo.

Portugal's Dongmo then finished fifth in Oregon and should improve her season’s best of 19.24m to be in the battle for the win in Madrid. The same goes for Dutch thrower Jessica Schilder, who enjoyed a fantastic 2022 as she claimed a medal at every major championships she contested, with respective bronzes at the indoor and outdoor World Championships before claiming the European title in Munich where she surpassed the 20-metre mark for the first time. The 23-year-old boasts a 19.22m season’s best set at the weekend to win the national title in Apeldoorn.

Yet the stiffest challenge for Ealey might come from Canada’s Commonwealth champion Sarah Mitton, the fourth-place finisher in Oregon, as she broke the national record in early January thanks to a 19.80m heave and went on to take second place at the Millrose Games with a 19.52m throw. Watch out too for Sweden’s European indoor silver medallist Fanny Roos, who has a season’s best of 18.73m.

"I have had a rough start this indoor season but I’ve improved steadily and I’m now close to my peak," said Ealey. "My season’s best is 20.03m, I managed 19.87m at the US Championships and I feel I have a big toss in the tank, so let’s hope I can release that one tomorrow and better my American record of 20.21m."

Visser-Hurske showdown

The women’s 60m hurdles promises to be a thrilling three-way fight between France’s world indoor champion Cyrena Samba-Mayela, the European gold medallist Nadine Visser of the Netherlands and the in-form Reetta Hurske. The still unheralded Finn has improved her lifetime best and the national record four times this year, capped by her 7.81 runner-up place in Torun two weeks ago where she defeated Visser, who ran 7.85 on that occasion and clocked a PB of 7.22 in the 60m flat to win the Dutch title at the weekend.

As for Samba-Mayela, the 22-year-old French athlete is rounding into form having clocked 7.90 in Paris on 11 February before taking silver at the French Championships in 7.98. Ireland’s Belgrade finalist Sarah Lavin is the other athlete to have dipped under 8.00 this season, courtesy of her 7.99 clocking in Lodz.

The men’s event is also strong thanks to the presence of the US duo Daniel Roberts (SB of 7:43 in Lievin) and Freddie Crittenden, who took a narrow win at the US Championships on Saturday in a career best of 7:49. That equals Cuba’s Roger Iribarne best performance on this season’s top list, while Spain’s Enrique Llopis should also be a factor after taking the national title in a massive PB of 7.48 to equal Orlando Ortega’s national record.

Povea and Tentoglou to shine in the jumps

The infield will witness a star-studded women’s triple jump line-up featuring the two leading women this season: Liadagmis Povea and Leyanis Perez of Cuba. The 27-year-old Povea set an indoor PB of 14.81m in Lievin to take the contest ahead of world fourth-place finisher Perez, who also improved her PB to 14.65m at the same event. They will face Olympic silver medallist Patricia Mamona; the Portuguese athlete who is a multiple international medallist and belongs to the exclusive 15m-plus club. She opened her season a week ago with a 14.41m effort in Pombal.

Greece’s Militiadis Tentoglou is the outstanding favourite in the men’s long jump. The 24-year-old has an impressive background having the Tokyo Olympic title and world silver from Oregon under his belt. The Greek star showed great consistency in Lievin, where he would have won the contest with any of his four valid jumps measured at 8.32m, 8.37m, 8.34m and a season’s best and world lead of 8.41m.

Those most likely to keep Tentoglou on his toes are Sweden’s Thobias Montler and Cuba’s Maykel Masso. The former enjoyed a solid 2022 season, taking respective silver medals at the Belgrade World Indoor Championships and the Munich European Championships and has kicked off this campaign in fine fitness as his 8.19m effort in Satra proves. While Olympic bronze medallist Masso will try to surpass the 8.00m barrier for the first time this year in his third appearance this indoor season.

Spanish 400m and 800m specialists are on fire

World indoor champion Mariano Garcia will be the marquee athlete in the men’s 800m. The 25-year-old Spaniard enjoyed a fantastic 2022, adding the European title in Munich to his Belgrade world indoor gold. Garcia won in style in Boston, setting a season’s best of 1:45.26, and will be eager to chase and break the 1:45.00 barrier for the first time indoors in front of his home crowd.

Yet Garcia suffered a shock defeat at the national championships on Sunday, as he was narrowly beaten (1:45.88 to 1:45.91) by 2018 world indoor bronze medallist Saul Ordonez, also on show on Wednesday. They will be joined by Javier Miron and Olympic fifth-place finisher Adrian Ben, third and fourth at the nationals in respective PBs of 1:45.98 and 1:46.12. The loaded line-up also comprises one of the most consistent 800m specialists, Sweden’s Andreas Kramer, who won in Torun a fortnight ago and whose season’s best stands at 1:45.90, plus the European 400m indoor silver medallist Tony Van Diepen of the Netherlands (SB of 1:46.36) and Ireland’s European bronze medallist Mark English (1:46.57).  

Local fans will also have something to cheer about in the 400m as the event features the in-form Oscar Husillos, fresh from a national record of 45.58 on Sunday at the same venue. The European indoor champion heads a strong local squad featuring Inaki Canal, runner-up to Husillos in a lifetime best of 45.89, plus Manuel Guijarro (46.07) and Lucas Bua (46.23), while Denmark’s Benjamin Lobo Vedel, fourth at last year’s World Indoor Championships, should improve on his season’s best of 46:45 to deny a local win.

The 12-event programme will also include the women’s 60m, with USA’s Kayla White (SB of 7.13) the athlete to beat, and the women’s 800m, where Benin’s Noelie Yarigo (1:58.48) will be the favourite. The women’s pole vault is headed by Canada’s Alysa Newman, who has cleared 4.71m so far this year.

Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics