We’re set for some intriguing clashes in women’s track races at this week’s European Indoor Championships in Toruń

Athletes such as Keely Hodgkinson (pictured) in the 800m, Femke Bol in the 400m and Nadine Visser in the 60m hurdles are among the contenders for medals in women’s track events this weekend.

Our previews for the European Indoor Championships in Toruń also include:

Timetable and TV guide – CLICK HERE
Men’s track previews – CLICK HERE
Men’s field previews – CLICK HERE
Women’s field previews – CLICK HERE

Women’s 60m

Final Sunday 18.46 (heats 10.20, semis 12.35 Sunday)

2019: 1 E Swobada (POL) 7.09; 2 D Schippers (NED) 7.14; 3 ASHA PHILIP 7.15

2021 rankings of those entered:

1 E Swoboda (POL) 7.10
2 A Lederer 7.12
3 Ajla Del Ponte 7.14
4 Orlann Ombissa-Dzangue (FRA)/Lotta Kemppinen (FIN) 7.16

Top European Dina Asher-Smith is absent and therefore the fastest entry is defending champion Ewa Swoboda who will be expected to gain further home glory for the strong Polish team.

Amelie-Sophie Lederer has not really backed up her good ranking time elsewhere and has no international form of note but if she could replicate her German title winning time she would almost certainly medal.

Ajla Del Ponte is a vastly improved athlete from the one that came eighth in 2019 judging by her 11.08 100m last summer. This winter the Swiss has run 7.14-7.19 on seven occasions and looks an obvious medal candidate.

France’s Orlann Ombissa-Dzangue and improving Finnish champion Lotta Kemppinen complete the top five in the rankings but have no major international form to back their best time up.

World Indoor finalist Carolle Zahi has only run 7.19 this winter but on her 7.11 PB would obviously be to the fore.

Sadly no Britons were available or selected.

Prediction: 1 Swoboda (POL) 7.09; 2 Del Ponte (SUI); 3 Lederer (GER)

400m

Final Saturday 20.25  (heats Friday 11.05 and semis 19.45)

2019: 1 L Sprunger (SUI) 51.61; 2 C Bolingo Mbongo (BEL 51.62); 3 L De Witte (NED) 52.34

2021 rankings of those entered:

1 F Bol (NED) 50.64
2 L Klaver (NED) 51.21
3 J Święty-Ersetic (POL) 51.80
4 A Miklos (ROM) 51.92
5 P Healy (IRL) 51.99

Femke Bol is a huge favourite with four sub-51s this winter and the Dutch 400m hurdler looks a class apart.

Her compatriot Lieke Klaver looks equally safe for second based on ranking times.

However, while European outdoor champion and home favourite Justyna Święty-Ersetic is well down on the Dutch runners on time she is an exceptionally fast finisher and will be out do better than her sixth in Glasgow with home advantage.

Andrea Miklos and Phil Healy are the other two who have broken 52 seconds this winter and will aiming to make the final at the very least along with German champion Corinna Schwab.

Defending champion Lea Sprunger (52.31) has not run fast as this winter but is a fine competitor and could well medal too.

Britain have a strong trio though the fastest of 2021 Zoey Clark (52.03) is just running the 4×400.

Former World youth and junior sprint champion Jodie Williams (52.27) has only flirted with the 400m so far but can call on 22.46 200m speed and based on her British trials win probably has the best chance of making the final.

Jessie Knight (52.38) and Ama Pipi (52.99) would need a big improvement on their 2021 times to make the final.

Prediction: 1 Bol (NED) 50.48; 2 Klaver (NED); 3 J Święty-Ersetic (POL)

800m

Final Sunday 18.13 (heats Friday 12.30, semis Saturday 19.00)

2019: 1 SHELAYNA OSKAN-CLARKE 2:02.58; 2 R Lamote (FRA) 2:03.00; 3 O Lyakhova (UKR) 2:03.24

2021 rankings of those entered:

1 KEELY HODGKINSON 1:59.03
2 J Jóźwik (POL) 2:00.42
3 S Cléirigh Büttner (IRL) 2:00.58
4 H Hynne (NOR) 2:00.92
5 N Power (IRL) 2:00.98

None of the medallists from 2019 return but the title could still remain in British hands.

Keely Hodgkinson will be keen to replicate her world junior record form which gives her well over a second on the others  entered.

The young Briton was not as convincing at Lievin where Jemma Reekie, absent from Toruń, won and she also finished behind Hedda Hynne who set a Norwegian record there and who ran 1:58.10 outdoors last summer.

It won’t be like a one-off race though as there are three races in three days which will suit the stronger runner.

Olympic finalist Joanna Jóźwik, who has won a medal in this event before, will be keen to make the most of home advantage. The 2014 World silver medallist Angelika Cichocka is a useful Polish No.2.

Highly-ranked Síofra Cléirigh Büttner and Nadia Power have both set Irish records this winter and should make the final if they are near their best and likewise their latest recruit Georgie Hartigan (2:01.48) which suggests Ireland have the strongest team overall.

Britain’s youthful trio is completed by the improving Isabelle Boffey (2:02.45) and Ellie Baker (2:02.73) who should both gain a lot from the experience but they will need further breakthroughs to make the final.

Prediction: 1 Jóźwik (POL) 1:59.66; 2 Hynne (NOR); 3 HODGKINSON

1500m

Final Saturday 19.50 (heats Friday 11.50)

2019: 1 LAURA MUIR 3:59.58; 2 S Ennaoui (POL) 4:09.30; 3 C Mageean (IRL) 4:09.43

2021 rankings of those entered:
1 E Vanderelst (BEL) 4:05.71
2 H Klein (GER) 4:06.86
3 E Guerrero (ESP) 4:07.48
4 M Pérez (ESP) 4:09.44
5 HOLLY ARCHER 4:10.03

Being six seconds faster than anyone entered this year, Laura Muir (3:59.58) could have won at a canter had she ran. Instead the European under-23 silver medallist Elise Vanderelst’s Belgian record heads what on paper is a very modest entry.

Hanna Klein is usually more of a 3000m runner and would need a good pace to win a medal.

Esther Guerrero, though, does have the speed having been in the last two 800m finals and probably has a better chance than her compatriot Marta Pérez who was a finalist in 2019.

Second-ranked Melissa Courtney-Bryant (4:04.79) is another Briton sitting the championships out but the UK still have outside medal hopes.

Holly Archer, 10th in Europe but fifth fastest on those entered has only had domestic races this winter and looks capable of rewriting her PB with a faster pace or being competitive in a slower run race. While Katie Snowden has lost out to Archer in her two races she too could be a factor if she makes the final.

Ciara Mageean of Ireland, a medallist in 2019, was due to run but withdrew this week.

Prediction: 1 Vanderelst (BEL) 4:09.65; 2 Guerrero (ESP); 3 Klein (GER)

3000m

Final Friday 21.00 (heats Thursday 19.30)

2019: 1 LAURA MUIR 8:30.61; 2 K Klosterhalfen (GER) 8:34.06; 3 MELISSA COURTNEY 8:38.22

2021 rankings of those entered:

1 Maruša Mišmaš-Zrimsek (SLO) 8:48.82
2 M Koster (NED) 8:49.63
3 VERITY OCKENDEN 8:51.63
4 J Vastenburg (NED) 8:52.76
5 A Finot (FRA) 8:53.00

None of the top five from 2019 return and also missing are the first four of the European rankings including top-ranked Sifan Hassan (8:33.62).

The Dutch still have a good chance though as Maureen Koster is the best of those returning from 2019 and won a medal in 2015 and only one entry is quicker.

Slovakia are not renowned for their endurance success but world steeplechase finalist Maruša Mišmaš-Zrimsek is the fastest entry and won the Balkan 1500m championships in 4:09.43 so should also be a factor if it’s a slow run race.

Claudia Bobocea was a 1500m finalist in 2019 and could be a danger if it’s tactical while French champion Alice Finot is a bit of an unknown as she has no international experience.

Sweden’s Merah Bahta has the fastest indoor PB of those entered with 8:42.46 but she is some way from that form judging by her being lapped in Madrid last week.

You could have got long odds on Verity Ockenden being a medal contender at the start of this season but she impressed in her two domestic races and ranks third of those entered so has every chance of her greatest honour to date.

The other two British team members Amy-Eloise Markovc (8:54.11) and Amelia Quirk (8:58.57) are also quite high up the rankings and could well get to the final while Rosie Clarke (8:58.97) has been entered as a reserve.

Prediction: 1 Mišmaš-Zrimsek (SLO) 8:53.30; 2 Koster (NED); 3 VERITY OCKENDEN

60m hurdles

Final Sunday 17.15 (heats Saturday 11.30, semis Saturday 13.20)

2019: 1 N Visser (NED) 7.87; 2 C Roleder (GER) 7.97; 3 E Herman (BLR) 8.00

2021 rankings of those entered:

1 N Visser (NED) 7.81
2 TIFFANY PORTER 7.89
3 N Neziri (FIN)/E Herman (BLR) 7.91
5 L Bapte (FRA) 7.93

Nadine Visser starts favourite as defending champion and with a clear time advantage on 2021 times after her big Madrid win.

Nooralotta Neziri, a 2011 European Junior champion, has taken a long time to fulfil her potential but this year at the age of 28, has moved up a level with three runs in the 7.91 to 7.92 range.

The 2018 European outdoor champion Elvira Herman was third in this event in 2019 but has been inconsistent this winter with a false start in Madrid.

Tiffany Porter (below right) finished second in her last championships appearance 10 years ago and is clearly back in very good form judging by her pair of 7.89s in the USA.

Her younger sister Cindy Sember (above left), who ran 7.89 herself in 2016 (the year she was fourth in the Olympics), has only run 8.01 this winter but should be well under eight in Poland and could join her sibling in the final.

Heptathlete Emma Nwofor has run 8.16 in each of her last three races but only ranks 35th in Europe so would be doing well to get to the semis.

Prediction: 1 Visser (NED) 7.82; 2 PORTER; 3 Neziri (FIN)

4x400m relay

Final Sunday 19.10

2019: 1 Poland 3:28.77; 2 GBR 3:29.56; 3 Italy 3:31.90

While Poland have a good chance of defending their title on their home track, they will be hard pressed to match the Dutch who have the two fastest 400m performers and two solid back up runners.

Much might depend on Justyna Święty-Ersetic on the final leg. She has already won 10 championship medals in relays, many with superb anchor legs.

Britain will have one of the strongest squads in depth and certainly if everyone runs to form will be far too good for the other three teams from Italy, Germany and Ukraine.

Prediction: 1 Netherlands 3:27.65; 2 Poland; 3 GBR