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The World Athletics Indoor Championships 2025 are all set to begin in Nanjing, China, from March 21 as world record holders Mondo Duplantis and Grant Holloway look to defend their respective titles. The event features over 500 athletes from some 120 countries.
Nanjing will be the first time athletes assemble for a global athletics championship since the 2024 Paris Olympics, and many, including American 400m star Alexis Holmes, will be eying revenge after losing at the Summer Games.
Five athletes to watch out for at the World Athletics Indoor Championships 2025
#5. Mondo Duplantis
Duplantis has already broken the pole vault record once this season, and all eyes will be on the 6.28m mark as he looks to defy gravity yet again at the World Athletics Indoor Championships.
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The Swede opened his 2025 season at the ISATF Indoor Championships in February and won with a routine 6.10m jump. He soared to the world record of 6.27m at the end of the month before jumping 6.05m for the win in his last appearance on March 13.
#4. Jakob Ingebrigtsen
Ingebrigtsen will battle reigning 3000m indoor champion Josh Kerr for the first time over this distance, and with 1500m Olympic champion Cole Hocker in contention as well, this promises a mouth-watering clash at the World Athletics Indoor Championships. The trio battled in the 1500m at the Paris Olympics, with Ingebrigtsen shockingly missing out on the podium.
The Norwegian has raced twice over the 3000m distance this season, clocking 7:55.32 and 7:48.37, respectively. He has a personal best of 7:40.32 over the distance and will need to be closer to that time to come out on top.
#3. Alexis Holmes
Holmes finished 6th in the 400m finals at the 2024 Paris Olympics and will be avenging that loss at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing. She won a bronze medal at last year's edition in Budapest and will be eager to return with a gold this time.
The American opened her 2025 season over the 400m at the Milrose Games, clocking 51.21s or the win. She improved to 50.51s at the US Indoor Championships, and will need to be closer to her personal best of 50.24s to win the gold.
#2. Yaroslava Mahuchikh
Mahuchikh is the Mondo Duplantis of the women's high jump. She is the reigning Olympic and World Champion in the event and holds the world record of 2.10m.
The Ukrainian opened her 2025 season at the Udin Jump Development with a 1.94m winning jump. Since then, she has soared to heights of 2.01m, 1.89m, and 1.99 m but will have her eyes glued on 2.11m and higher when she takes the field in Nanjing.
#1. Grant Holloway
If Mahuchikh is the Mondo Duplantis of the women's high jump, Holloway is of the men's 60m hurdles, holding both world title and world record in the event. With gold nearly in his pocket already, the American will be eying to break his personal best of 7.27s at the World Athletics Indoor Championships.
Holloway opened his 2025 season at the New Balance Grand Prix in February, clocking 7.42s for the win. He has competed in six total races before the World Championships, clocking a season's best time of 7.36s.
