BUDAPEST (04-Mar-2004) -- A record 765 athletes from 150 nations will make the 10th edition of the IAAF World Indoor Championships the biggest ever when competition kicks off tomorrow morning at the newly-refurbished Sportarena here in the Hungarian capital.

Gunning for her sixth indoor title, Maria Mutola of Mozambique is the marquee entrant in the middle and long distance events, but with solid fields and no clear favorites, the three-day meeting promises intense and interesting competition.

After strong wins in Glasgow and Karlsruhe this winter --her 152nd and 153rd runs under two minutes-- the 31-year-old Golden League Jackpot winner was picked as a solid favorite to become the first man or woman to win a sixth gold medal at a world indoor championship.  But when she tumbled to the track two weeks ago at the Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham, it was apparently more than an innocent stumble and rare DNF.  Mutola suffered a hip injury serious enough that her training was confined to the pool for the week after her fall. But she said the problem is a thing of the past.

"I feel absolutely well," she said, before adding her standard modest pre-race "prediction." "At the world championships anything can happen, but hopefully I can defend my title," adding, "I know I have to be careful with Jolanda Ceplak," the world indoor record holder from Slovenia. "But I haven' t worked out any tactic."

Ceplak, who comes to neighboring Hungary with a pair of sub two-minute clockings this season, apparently enjoys running close to home.  Her world indoor record of 1:55.82 at the 2002 European Indoor Championships was in Vienna, about a three hour drive from her home in Celje.  The popular Slovenian is also the only woman in the field who has beaten Mutola in recent years.  In February 2002, Ceplak and Mutola finished second and third behind Stephanie Graf of Austria at the Energize-Euro meet in Gent, Belgium.

Mayte Martínez, who lowered the Spanish record to 1:59.52 this season, is seen as a medal favorite as well. At last year's World Indoor Championships, Martínez out-leaned Ceplak for bronze.  Double U.S. champion Jen Toomey, who has improved steadily with each appearance this season, is the latest American middle distance hope. Teetering (No pun intended --Ed.) on sub-two minute territory, and with a 2:34.19 national record in the 1000m this season to become the fourth fastest ever over the distance, the 32-year-old late-comer to the sport is a solid medal threat as well.

Despite the absence of world leader Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia and defending champion David Krummenacker of the U.S., the men's 800 is building up to be an all-out brawl. Kenyan Joseph Mutua, who became the third fastest ever indoors after his 1:44.71 win in Stuttgart, leads a pack that includes South African Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (1:45.43) and the second Kenyan entrant, William Yiampoy (1:45.80). Twenty-one year-old Ethiopian Berhanu Alemu and Osmar Barbosa dos Santos of Brazil have each run under 1:46 this season.

With the year's two fastest performances after wins in the season's two toughest races, Ukraine's Ivan Heshko leads the field in the men's 1500m. But with eight others in the field who have shown 3:37 form or better this season, the title in Budapest is virtually anyone's for the taking. Spaniards Juan Carlos Higuero (3:36.39) and José Antonio Redolat (3:36.55), Kenyans Paul Korir (3:37.05) and Laban Rotich (3:37:17), and Britain's Commonwealth Games champion Michael East (3:36.42) are expected to wage a fierce battle.

The absence of defending champion Haile Gebrselassie will not leave the 3000 bereft of talent. Sydney Olympic 1500 bronze medalist Bernard Lagat has moved up in distance this winter and proved himself to be an immediate force after his 7:34.96 win in Athens. The second Kenyan entrant, Boaz Cheboiywo, achieved considerable success while a student at Eastern Michigan University, claiming NCAA titles in cross country and at 10,000m. After his 7:38.30 win in Fayetteville, the 25-year-old makes his first national team appearance as a medal threat. But Ethiopian entrants Abiyote Abate (7:38.43) and Markos Geneti (7:41.06) will do their part to keep the title in Ethiopian hands. Also in the field is cross country star Sergiy Lebed (7:41.01), who twice lowered the Ukrainian record in the event this season. Canadian record holder Kevin Sullivan and former indoor 1500m titlist Rui Silva or Portugal could also be medal factors.

The women's 1500m features four of the year's five fastest. Ethiopia's Kutre Dulecha (4:01.90 and 4:04.47) is the most consistent, though both Alesya Turova of Belarus and Briton Kelly Holmes, the Birmingham silver medallist, have each run under 4:05 this season. Russian Gulnara Samitova (4:05.91) will be a factor, as will local favorite Judit Varga, who lowered the Hungarian national record to 4:06.04 in Karlsruhe.

The 3000m has the makings of a team battle virtually no one would have envisioned just two months ago.  Defending champion Berhane Adere (8:33.05) and compatriot Meseret Defar (8:33.44) are the year's two fastest, but right on their heels is Briton Jo Pavey. Prior to this year, the 30-year-old had not even run indoors, but in only her second arena race she retired Liz McColgan's 14-year-old British record with her 8:34.55 performance in Birmingham. Not further behind is Paris 1500m bronze medallist Hayley Tullett (8:48.77), who chose to contest the longer distance. Spanish record holder Marta Dominguez, who finished second to Adere last year, returns, while Russian entrants Gulnara Samitova (8:41.72) and European Cup winner Yelena Zadorozhnaya should play a key role as well.

Competition in the distance events kicks off tomorrow with the semi-finals in both the men's and women's 3000, the semis in the women's 1500 and the first round of the men's and women's 800.

Start lists and live results can be found here

Save on Running Shoes

Cross Country Spikes 10% off

Train Smarter!!!

Injured?