Simon Ehammer at the World Indoor Championships (© Getty Images)
- World leader Simon Ehammer looks to reclaim the title he won in 2024
- Kyle Garland, owner of the second-best score in history, makes World Indoor debut
- Wide-open competition for places on the podium
The men’s heptathlon at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 looks set to be a battle between Simon Ehammer and Kyle Garland – both of whom rank in the top five on the world all-time list – but, as is always the case in combined events, there’s scope for a surprise medallist or two.
Ehammer knows what it’s like to stand on the top of the podium at the World Indoors, having taken the title in 2024 with 6418. He improved on that mark when taking silver at last year’s European Indoor Championships with a Swiss record of 6506, and he claimed another silver at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing later that month (6363).
Ehammer has sometimes struggled with consistency with his jumps in a combined events competition, but the long jump – a discipline in which he earned world bronze in 2022 – remains one of his strengths, along with the hurdles. He heads to Poland off the back of a world-leading 6416 and an equal 60m hurdles PB of 7.55 – a time that would have been enough for a medal in that discipline at the last World Indoors.
But he’ll be up against an athlete who owns the second-best heptathlon score in history. Garland – who’ll be making his World Indoors debut – has a PB of 6639, just six points shy of Ashton Eaton’s world record. He set his decathlon PB of 8869 last year, elevating him to 10th on the world all-time list.
At last year’s World Championships, the US all-rounder led the decathlon for eight of the 10 disciplines, surrendering his lead in the javelin and then dropping to third by the end of the competition.
Fortunately for the world bronze medallist, the javelin and 1500m aren’t part of the heptathlon.
In fact, the leading duo have the same weakness: the 1000m. Ehammer is stronger in the hurdles and long jump, while Garland excels in the shot put and high jump. It makes for a fascinating duel which could all come down to the final discipline.
There are many other medal contenders entered too.
Heath Baldwin made a breakthrough when winning the 2024 US Olympic Trials with a decathlon PB of 8625. The 25-year-old, who finished sixth at last year’s World Championships, recently set a heptathlon PB of 6245 at the US Indoor Championships and he’ll be looking to improve on his fourth-place finish from last year’s World Indoors.
Jente Hauttekeete made his first appearance at the World Indoors in 2024 at the age of 21, placing eighth. He went on to finish fifth at last year’s European Indoor Championships, equalling the Belgian record of 6259, and then placed 10th at the World Championships in Tokyo. He recently won the Belgian indoor heptathlon title with 6212, the second-best score of his career, and displayed improved form in the shot put.
Makenson Gletty finished one place ahead of Hauttekeete in Tokyo last year. The European bronze medallist, who placed fifth at the 2024 World Indoors, has a PB of 6230 and heads to Poland with a best this year of 6091. Expect him to bank valuable points in the shot put.
Dario Dester recently improved his own Italian indoor record to 6121, which also puts him in the frame for medal contention.
Czechia’s Vilém Stráský was fifth at last year’s World Indoors, an improvement of one place on his 2024 outing. He set his PB of 6162 when finishing sixth at last year’s European Indoors.
Compatriot Ondřej Kopecký finished just ahead of Stráský at the recent Czech Indoor Championships, scoring a PB of 6059. Kopecký, who placed ninth at the 2024 World Indoors, will be out for redemption after failing to register a mark in the decathlon pole vault at the World Championships last year.
Kendrick Thompson of The Bahamas, who finished eighth at last year’s World Championships, recently scored a PB of 5963 in just his second heptathlon to date. The NACAC silver medallist will be hoping to join the 6000-point club in Torun.
Téo Bastien of France and Estonia’s Rasmus Roosleht have both surpassed 6000 points this year and will be looking to do so again at the World Indoors.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
Timetable | 2026 world list | world all-time list | world rankings
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