The World Indoor Championships marked a spectacular end to the short track season, delivering outstanding results for national teams set to compete next June at the Vallehermoso Stadium during the European Team Championships.
GOLD MEDALS
Seven athletes ascended to the top of the podium at the most recent World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China. Barring any surprises, these champions are expected to represent their countries at the upcoming European Team Championships. Hailing from five nations, Great Britain and Italy each claimed two golds, while Switzerland, France, and Sweden secured one apiece.
Sweden’s gold was won by pole vault superstar Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, arguably the most high-profile athlete in the sport. Duplantis clinched his third consecutive indoor world title and made history as the first man to surpass six meters more than 100 times—finishing with 102 after a stunning 6.15m jump. His sights are now set on the European Team Championships, where he’ll vault in front of Madrid’s Royal Palace.
Italy dominated the jumping events with two golds on the sand. Andy Díaz triumphed in the triple jump, securing his first World Championship gold with an impressive 17.80m on his opening attempt. Meanwhile, 20-year-old Mattia Furlani claimed the long jump title with an 8.30m leap in one of the fiercest competitions of the championships.
Great Britain celebrated two sprint victories. Jeremiah Azu led the men’s 60 meters with a personal best of 6.49 in a final without a clear favorite. In contrast, Amber Anning’s 400m gold (50.60) was widely anticipated. She avenged her defeat from the European Championships, adding her first senior world gold to an already remarkable collection.
Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji won the women’s 60 meters in a European-dominated final, clocking 7.04 to repeat her 2022 Belgrade victory—hardly a shock to onlookers. Perhaps more surprising was France’s Marie-Julie Bonnin, who soared to pole vault gold with a 4.75m jump, matching the national record. A bronze medalist at the Apeldoorn European Indoor Championships, Bonnin outshone her rivals in Nanjing to claim her first senior world title.
SILVER MEDALS
Eight silver medals were earned by athletes from 16 national teams slated to compete at Vallehermoso Stadium the last weekend of June. Five went to women and three to men, representing seven countries. Switzerland stood out with two silvers, leading the pack.
Swiss standout Annik Kälin leaped 6.83m in the long jump, while Ditaji Kambundji’s blistering 7.73 in the 60m hurdles—bolstered by a superb 0.138 reaction time, the second-fastest among finalists—earned her silver. Italy’s Zaynab Dosso flipped a sluggish 0.180 reaction time in the 60m dash into a strong 7.06 finish for silver. Dutch shot putter Jessica Schilder, a reigning European indoor and outdoor champion, settled for second in Nanjing with a 20.07m throw after taking gold in Apeldoorn.
Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis set a national record of 6.05m in the pole vault but couldn’t overcome Duplantis, earning silver. Similarly, Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen dominated the 1500m, leaving Britain’s Neil Gourley (3:39.07) with a well-deserved second place. France’s Wilhem Belocian clocked 7.54 in the 60m hurdles, finishing just 0.12 behind the unbeatable Grant Holloway for silver.
BRONZE MEDALS
Nine bronze medals from Nanjing will be represented by nations competing in Vallehermoso from June 27–29. Unlike the silvers, the bronzes skewed toward women (six) over men (three) and hailed from seven countries. Spain led the charge with three podium finishes.
Josué Canales made an impressive international debut in the 800m, while Fátima Diame secured her second consecutive world indoor bronze in the long jump. Ana Peleteiro-Compaoré added a third world indoor bronze to her illustrious career, following Birmingham 2018 and Glasgow 2024.
Europe’s elite jumpers also shone. Ukraine’s high jump world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh, just 23, completed her medal set—gold in 2022, silver in 2024—with a bronze in Nanjing. Switzerland’s Angelica Moser capped a stellar winter with her first world podium finish in the pole vault, fresh off her European title in Apeldoorn.
Portugal’s Patrícia Silva debuted on the world stage with a stunning 800m bronze, shattering her national record by a second with 1:59.80. Great Britain’s Georgia Bell Hunter confirmed her status as a middle-distance gem, taking 1500m bronze (3:59.84)—a mark that ranks her fourth all-time in Europe and nearly toppled Laura Muir’s national record (3:59.58).
Hungary’s men’s 4x400m relay, led by European champion Attila Molnár, claimed its first world medal and smashed the national record with 3:06.03. Finally, 22-year-old German heptathlete Till Steinforth capped his best season yet with a bronze, adding to his Apeldoorn European Champs medal from March.
