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Women’s 800m - A year after claiming the European Indoor title, Russian Mariya Savinova is poised to take an even bigger step in Doha.

Doha, Qatar - This preview of the women's events at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Doha, Qatar (12-14 March) is based on entry information received by the IAAF but before the official start lists have been decided.

Women’s 60m

The focus here is on one of the most anticipated head-to-head clashes of the weekend which could result in the first sub-seven second dash at the World Indoor Championships since 1999.

US Virgin Islander Laverne Jones-Ferrette jumped to the fore in a big way in Stuttgart last month when she dashed to a sizzling 6.97, the fastest run in 11 years. With four other performances at 7.10 or faster, the 28-year-old, who didn’t advance beyond the semis in the last two World Indoor Championships, will be gunning for gold this time around. But she’ll have to get past American Carmelita Jeter.

Jeter, a two-time 100m bronze medallist outdoors, made her splash late last year with a pair of sensational late season 100m runs, first a 10.67 in Thessalonki and a 10.64 in Shanghai to move all the way up to No. 2 all-time. And she’s been quick indoors, too. Second to Jones-Ferrette in Stuttgart in 7.05, she returned the favour in Birmingham two weeks later when she edged her new rival by the slimmest of margins as both clocked 7.06. Taking full advantage of Albuquerque’s altitude, she went even faster at the US championships clocking 7.02.

Also expected in the hunt will be two-time Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown. Although the Jamaican is well behind on paper with a 7.14 season’s best, conventional wisdom would suggest that she wouldn’t be making her first trip to a World Indoor Championships if she wasn’t fully prepared. Meanwhile the US runner-up (7.14 SB) Mikele Barber will be looking to emulate her twin sister, Me’Lisa, who took the World Indoor title in Moscow in 2006.

Women’s 400m

Here we’ll expect a Russia-USA showdown as runners from the two powerhouses have largely dominated the tail end of the season. Debbie Dunn capped her consistent indoor campaign with a quick and world-leading 50.86 to take the US title, albeit at altitude, after collecting a victory in Stockholm and a pair or runner-up finishes in Glasgow and Moscow.

At the latter, she was defeated by Tatyana Firova who two weeks later cruised to a career best 51.22 in the heats of the Russian championships. That final resulted in a photo finish where she was inseparable from Natalya Nazarova – both stopped the clock at 51.39 – who will be joining her in Doha. If experience matters – and it certainly does – Nazarova, who sped to the World Indoor crowns in 2003 and 2004 and finished runner-up in 2008, will be difficult to beat.

US runner-up Deedee Trotter (51.23), who will be making her first World Indoor appearance, is rounding into form at the right time.

Jamaican Novlene Williams-Mills, the winner in Birmingham in 52.03 and a finalist indoors in 2006, is expected to be a factor, as is Aliann Pompey, twice a World indoor semi-finalist, who clocked a 51.83 Guyanese record in January.

Women’s 800m

A year after claiming the European Indoor title, Russian Mariya Savinova is poised to take an even bigger step in Doha.  Working on her speed and endurance, the 24-year-old has raced well this winter over several distances, lowering her personal bests in both the 400m (52.05) and the 1500m (4:08.2), and producing key 800m victories at the Russian Winter meeting (1:59.23) and at the national championships. At the latter she beat world season leader Yevgeniya Zinurova by a second-and-a-half. Full article at iaaf.org

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