2021 World Athletics Indoor Tour: Karlsruhe

Gold Medalists, World Record Holders Take To The Track In Karlsruhe

Gold Medalists, World Record Holders Take To The Track In Karlsruhe

Beatrice Chepkoech and Dina Asher-Smith will begin their seasons on Friday at the World Athletics Indoor Tour in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Jan 28, 2021 by Kevin Sully
Gold Medalists, World Record Holders Take To The Track In Karlsruhe

The World Athletics Indoor Tour kicks off on Friday with some stellar fields schedule to compete in Karlsruhe, Germany.  Here are five events to watch:

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Women’s 60m

Dina Asher-Smith, the reigning world champion in the 200m, headlines this field. This will be Asher-Smith’s 2021 debut and just her second race since competing in Doha at the 2019 World Championships. She only competed once in 2020. Her 7.08 personal best is the second-fastest in the field behind Asha Philip’s 7.06. 

Women’s 3000m

Steeplechase world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech has the quickest personal best, 8:22 outdoors, 8:39 indoors, and has proven herself capable of running fast times even when there aren’t barriers involved. Fantu Worku has run 8:32 outdoors and has made championship finals. At 21-years-old, perhaps this will be the beginning of a breakout season. Gloria Kite has run 8:29 outdoors and 14:49 in the 5000m

Women’s 1500m

Winnie Nanyondo had a busy race schedule last year, at least by 2020 standards, and is one of the favorites in her debut on Friday. She has run 3:59 outdoors (and a 1:58.63 in the 800m) and 4:06 indoors.  Ciara Mageean thrives in the indoor season and has already competed once this year, a victory in a 3000m in Manchester. Her personal bests line up with Nanyondo and her comfort with racing indoors make her a tough out. 

Steeplechaser Gesa Krause is primed to knock off time from her 4:08 indoor personal best and perhaps even run faster than her outdoor personal best of 4:06.

Men’s Long jump

Will Juan Miguel Echevarria return to the form of 2018 and 2019 when he was nearly jumping out of the pit? The 22-year-old looked poised to take the event to another level after his monster, but wind-aided, 8.83m jump in 2018. In 2019, he had an even bigger jump with a wind at his back, leaping 8.92m in Havana. 

His wind-legal personal best sits at 8.68 and his best indoor mark is 8.46m. 

Men’s 60m Hurdles

There are plenty of familiar names in this race. 2019 bronze medallist Pascal Martinot-Lagarde already has one meet under his belt, a 7.54 victory in Miramas. His 7.45 lifetime best is second in the field, behind only Jarret Eaton’s 7.43 from 2018. 

Eaton ran 7.65 last weekend in a tune-up race. Fellow American Aaron Mallett will be looking to roll over his strong finish from 2020 when he won the 100m hurdles in the Diamond League final in a personal best of 13.15. His only result of 2021 is a 7.68 in Iowa City on January 23.