Holly Bradshaw, Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Larissa Iapichino are among the exciting talents in the women’s field events in Toruń

Some of the most fascinating contests of the weekend will come in the women’s field events and Britain has great medal chances.

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 track previews – CLICK HERE

High jump

Final Sunday 17.45 (qualifying Friday 19.13)

2019: 1 M Lasitskene (ANA) 2.01; 2 Y Levchenko (UKR) 1.99; 3 A Palsyte (LTU) 1.97

2021 rankings of those entered:

1 Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) 2.06
2 Y Levchenko (UKR)/MORGAN LAKE 1.96
4 I Herashchenko (UKR)/K Demidik (BLR)/A Trost (ITA)/E Junnila (FIN) 1.94

Yaroslava Mahuchikh ranks third all-time indoors and should win her first senior title with ease and would still be favourite even if five-time global champion indoors and out Mariya Lasitskene was able to compete.

Yuliya Levchenko generally got the better of her compatriot until this season and she should win her third medal in this event.

It’s not out of the question that Iryna Herashchenko could complete an Ukrainian clean sweep with little between her and a number of jumpers though world indoor Bronze medallist .Alessia Trost looks the best of those who have cleared 194m this winter.

Morgan Lake, fourth in the 2018 World Indoor Championships, was a late addition to the British team and a repeat of her 1.96m at Budapest last week could get her a medal.

Emily Borthwick (1.87m) also bagged a late spot though it will probably take a mark of 1.92m to make the final.

Prediction: 1 Mahuchikh (UKR) 2.04; 2 Levchenko (UKR); 3 LAKE

Pole vault

Final Saturday 19.15 (qualifying Friday 10.20)

2019: 1 A Sidorova (ANA) 4.85; 2 HOLLY BRADSHAW 4.75; 3 N Kiriakopoulou (GRE) 4.65

2019 rankings of those entered:

1 HOLLY BRADSHAW 4.85
2 I Zhuk (BLR) 4.73
3 E Pólak (GRE) 4.71
4 T Sutej (SLO) 4.70
5 A Moser (SUI) 4.62

Defending champion Anzhelika Sidorova (4.90m this winter) can’t compete and the 2013 champion Holly Bradshaw who was second to her in Glasgow, has a big advantage on the rest of those entered and has won her three competitions in 2021 in great style.

Iryna Zhuk was sixth in 2019 but has improved in 2021 and judging by her Belarus record in France should be in medal contention and the Briton’s biggest challenger.

Eléni-Klaoúdia Pólak is next in the rankings but has a modest championships record as has Tina Sutej though the latter is a little more consistent around the 4.70m mark.

Olympic champion Katarina Stefanídi has not been at her best this winter and chose not to compete.

Prediction: 1 BRADSHAW 4.85; 2 Zhuk (BLR); 3 Sutej (SLO)

Long jump

Final Saturday 19.40 (qualifying Friday 12.18)

2019: 1 I Spanovic (SRB) 6.99; 2 N Mironchyk-Ivanova (BLR) 6.93; 3 N Bekh-Romanchuk (UKR) 6.84

2021 rankings of those entered:

1 L Iapichino (ITA) 6.91
2 K Sagnia (SWE) 6.82
3 M Mihambo (GRE) 6.77
4 N Mironchyk-Ivanova (BLR) 6.73
5 M Bekh-Romanchuk (UKR) 6.70

This looks like the best quality women’s event of the whole championships, even though the defending champion Ivana Spanovic was a late withdrawal due to a hamstring injury.

The rankings are headed by Larissa Iapichino who set a world under-20 record in the Italian Championships to match her mother Fiona’s PB but she has not competed internationally this winter and is up against a loaded senior field.

World and European outdoor champion Malaika Mihambo was only fourth in Glasgow despite a 6.83m jump and so far all her success has been outdoors.

Khaddi Sagnia is second in this year’s rankings and this winter has carried on her good form from last summer when she jumped 6.92m.

Nastassia Mironchyk-Ivanova, who served a doping ban from 2016 to 2018, was second in Glasgow to Spanovic and though just short of her best in 2021, is improving as is the bronze medallist Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk.

Jazmin Sawyers (6.50m) and Abigail Irizoru (6.34m) would be a contender for a place in the final at their very best but would need big season’s bests to do so.

The latter was seventh in 2019 but is only ranked 46th in Europe in 2021.

Prediction: 1 Mihambo (GER) 6 87; 2 Iapichino (ITA); 3 Sagnia (SWE)

Triple jump

Final Sunday 17.20 (qualifying Saturday 12.00)

2019: 1 A Peleteiro (ESP) 14.73; 2 P Papahristou (GRE) 14.50; 3 O Saladukha (UKR) 14.47

2021 rankings of those entered:

1 P Papahrístou (GRE) 14.60
2 V Skvartsova 14.39
3 A Peleteiro (ESP)/P Mamona (POR) 14.21
5 K Mäkelä (FIN) 14.13

The 2018 European outdoor champion Paraskeví Papahrístou was second last time but the Greek looked superb in the Toruń World Indoor Tour meeting.

Viyaleta Skvartsova was second in Toruń and the 2017 European Junior champion has improved greatly this season .

Defending champion Ana Peleteiro beat the Greek in Glasgow two years ago but has looked well short of that form this year but could still win a medal.

The 2016 European champion Patrícia Mamona is also not at her best and was second in this event in 2017 and just missed a medal in 2019 but will still be close again this time.

Kristiina Mäkelä, sixth in 2019 is another in the medal hunt.

Prediction: 1 Papahrístou (GRE) 14.65; 2 Skvartsova (BLR); 3 Peleteiro (ESP)

Shot put

Final Friday 19.06 (qualifying Thursday 19.15)

2019: 1 R Mavrodieva (BUL) 19.12; 2 C Schwanitz (GER) 19.11; 3 A Marton (HUN) 19.00

2021 rankings of those entered:

1 A Dongmo (POR) 19.65
2 C Schwanitz (GER) 19:11
3 F Roos (SWE) 18.85
4 K Kardasz (POL) 18.57
5 SOPHIE McKINNA 18.54

The former Cameroon athlete Auriol Dongmo leads the world but her only championships success so far was a modest level African Championships in 2017 but she is at a different level these days.

Now in the W35 category, Christina Schwanitz is going for her fourth medal at this event and should be a clear second if at her best.

The 2017 European under-23 champion Fanny Roos has greatly improved since her sixth place in 2019 setting another Swedish record last week and looks the likely third this time.

However, she will need to watch home athlete Klaudia Kardasz who was silver medallist behind Roos in 2017.

Also in with a medal chance is Britain’s Sophie McKinna who has looked in good form this winter and beat Schwanitz in Karlshrue.

Late addition to the team Amelia Strickler (17.26) is only ranked 25th and would need around a metre improvement to make the final.

Prediction: 1 Dongmo (POR); 2 Schwanitz (GER); 3 Roos (SWE)

Pentathlon

Friday 60m hurdles 10.00, high jump 10.52, shot 13.05, long jump 19.00, 800m 20.45

2019: 1 KATARINA JOHNSON-THOMPSON 4983; 2 NIAMH EMERSON 4731; 3 S Ndama (FRA) 4723

2019 rankings of those entered:

1 N Vidts (BEL) 4665;
2 Xenia Krizsan (HUN) 4593
3 HOLLY MILLS 4557
4 R Mnemes (HUN) 4532
5 N Broersen (NED) 4514

Noor Vidts tops the rankings but has little international pedigree and is not Belgium’s best hope.

That is of course, the Olympic and European champion Nafissatou Thiam who won this title in 2017.

She has only competed sparingly in 2021 and not impressed in her outings but still should be too good for those entered here.

World indoor silver medallist and 2017 runner-up Ivona Dadic has also yet to complete a Pentathlon this winter but is usually consistent around the 4700 mark.

Consistent Xénia Krizsán is more of a 4600 point performer and will be out to better her fourth in 2017.

Holly Mills has improved a dramatic 300 points in 2021 and should be close to the medals if she can replicate her form shown so far this year.

Prediction: 1 Thiam (BEL) 4715; 2 Dadic (AUT); 3 Victs (BEL)