World Indoor Championships: Preview, Full Schedule, and Where to Watch Kishane Thompson, Keely Hodgkinson and Co

The world's elite track and field athletes are set to descend on Kujawy Pomorze, Poland, for the 21st edition of the World Athletics Indoor Championships.

From March 20-22, the Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena in Toruń will host three days of intense competition as stars battle for global indoor titles.

This prestigious event will feature 674 athletes from 118 national federations competing across 26 events, 13 for men and 13 for women.

The field is stacked with decorated champions, including twelve gold medallists from the previous championships in Nanjing, eleven individual world champions from Tokyo 25, and nine reigning Olympic champions from Paris 2024.

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Here is everything you need to know about the athletes to watch, the full schedule, and how to follow the championships.

Friday, 20 March: Day 1

Morning Session: Heats for the men's 60m, men's and women's 400m, and men's and women's 800m. The women's high jump final will take place, alongside the first three events of the men's heptathlon.

Evening Session: Finals for the women's shot put, men's triple jump, and the highly anticipated men's 60m. Semi-finals will be held for the men's and women's 400m and the men's 60m.

Saturday, 21 March: Day 2

Morning Session: Heats for the men's 60m hurdles and women's 60m. The mixed 4x400m relay final and men's high jump final are scheduled, along with the men's heptathlon pole vault and semi-finals for the 800m.

Evening Session: A packed night of finals, including the men's pole vault, men's and women's 400m, men's and women's 3000m, women's triple jump, men's 60m hurdles, and the women's 60m. The men's heptathlon concludes with the 1000m.

Sunday, 22 March: Day 3

Morning Session: The final day kicks off with the women's pentathlon events (60m hurdles, high jump) and the women's long jump final.

The 60m dash boasts one of the most competitive fields, with 55 athletes from 41 countries vying for the title. Jamaica's Kishane Thompson, the Paris 2024 Olympic 100m silver medallist, arrives in top form.

He will face stiff competition from Great Britain's Jeremiah Azu, the defending world and European indoor champion. The American contingent is also formidable, led by Trayvon Bromell and breakout NCAA star Jordan Anthony.

The 21-year-old Anthony enters as the world leader with a blistering 6.43 and is hunting for his first global title after a stunning victory over Noah Lyles at the U.S. indoor championships.

In the men’s 400m, a world record could be on the line as two of the fastest men in history, Christopher Morales Williams of Canada and Khaleb McRae of the USA, go head-to-head for gold on the tight indoor track.

The women’s 400m will see Kenya’s Mercy Oketch seeking a breakthrough after a successful indoor campaign where she set a national record time of 51.53 seconds at the Meeting Metz Moselle Athlélor Crédit Mutuel.

She will be up against Norway's Henriette Jæger is chasing her first individual global title but will have to overcome world leader Ella Onojuvwevwo of Nigeria and Dutch standout Lieke Klaver.

The middle-distance events are also packed with talent. American teenager Cooper Lutkenhaus, the U20 800m world record holder, is a major contender in the men's 800m.

Seeded second behind Belgium's Eliott Crestan, Lutkenhaus aims to upgrade his previous world indoor silver to gold, especially with reigning champion Josh Hoey of the USA absent.

Great Britain has strong medal prospects in the middle-distance events. Keely Hodgkinson, the indoor 800m world record holder and Olympic champion, is a favourite in her event.

In the women's 1500m, Olympic bronze medallist Georgia Hunter Bell will be one to watch. Dutch star Femke Bol, who recently experimented with the 800m, will not be competing at these championships.

Portugal's Isaac Nader will be looking to add a world indoor 1500m title to the outdoor crown he won in Tokyo. However, the event will be missing several big names, including Olympic champion Cole Hocker, former world champion Josh Kerr, and American record holder Yared Nuguse, who have all shifted their focus to the 3000m.

That longer race will be led by France's Yann Schrub. Norwegian superstar Jakob Ingebrigtsen will not compete as he continues his recovery from Achilles surgery.

In the men's 60m hurdles, local hero Jakub Szymański carries the hopes of the host nation. He faces a strong challenge from American duo Dylan Beard and Trey Cunningham, who are looking to make their mark in the absence of Olympic champion Grant Holloway.

The women's 60m dash is set to be a major highlight, featuring a stacked field led by Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia. Alfred shares the 2026 world lead of 6.99 seconds with Italy's Zaynab Dosso, who also lines up.

The competition is fierce, with Luxembourg’s Patrizia van der Weken, British sprinters Amy Hunt and Dina Asher-Smith, and Polish favourite Ewa Swoboda all in contention.

Notably, American world champions Sha’Carri Richardson and Melissa Jefferson will not be competing, with Richardson focusing on the upcoming outdoor season.

The men's pole vault will be headlined by the phenomenal Mondo Duplantis of Sweden, the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder. He will be joined by Greece's Olympic bronze medallist Emmanouil Karalis.

The men's long jump features a clash between reigning world indoor and outdoor champion Mattia Furlani of Italy and Bulgaria's Bozhidar Saraboyukov. Meanwhile, South Korea's Woo Sanghyeok aims to defend his title in the men's high jump.

On the women's side, the high jump promises a compelling battle between Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) and world champion Nicola Olyslagers (AUS). Serbia's Angelina Topić, who recently set a national record of two metres, will also be a threat. In the triple jump, Venezuelan world leader Yulimar Rojas returns to face Cuba's reigning world champion, Leyanis Pérez Hernández.

The women's shot put sees Jessica Schilder of the Netherlands enter as the field leader against defending champion Sarah Mitton of Canada. American star Anna Hall will also be aiming to add a world indoor pentathlon title to her outdoor heptathlon crown.

Viewers in many regions can stream the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze on World Athletics+ (registration required).

Viewers based in East Africa can follow the content on eurovisionsport.com. For information on other broadcasters, please check your local listings.