World Indoor Tour Final news, the word from Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM (GBR): At the World Indoor Tour Final, Keely Hodgkinson will have an eye on the world indoor 800m record of 1:55.82 set on the day she was born by Jolanda Ceplak in 2002. She said: “I feel I’m in pretty good shape and if things go well then I could get close to it. But in the world record race there were two of them battling all the way to the line. I’ll give it my best shot, though. It’s a really hard record to break so I’ll just go out there and do my best.” Pace is set for 57 seconds in the 400 m. From AW.

BIRMINGHAM (GBR): World 5000m champion Gudaf Tsegay is again ready to attack Genzebe Dibaba’s world indoor 3000m record of 8:16.60 that has stood since 2014. Konstanze Klosterhalfen will be a tough opposition. Late withdrawal is Reece Prescod from 60 m as he wants to be ready for Istanbul.

BIRMINGHAM (GBR): In four events winners of the World Indoor Tour are confirmed before Saturday. In women 3000 m Lemlem Hailu and men long jump Thobias Montler. Also in two events that are not staged in Birmingham, Liadagmis Povea in the triple jump and Sarah Mitton in the shot put. Daniel Roberts and Grant Holloway will fight for the men’s 60 m hurdles overall win, Hamish Kerr with Tobias Potye and Norbert Kobielski in the men’s high jump. In the 1500 m, only  Neil Gourley and Adel Mechaal have a chance to attack Yared Nuguse and his 20 points. In the women’s pole vault Bridget Williams, Alysha Newman, and Ekaterini Stefanidi have still a chance to go over leader Katie Moon who is not in Birmingham. In the 800 m, Keely Hodgkinson looks like the top favorite, but also Noelie Yarigo with Anita Horvat have chances. In women’s 60 m, only Dina Asher-Smith can attack Aleia Hobbs’s top position, but she would need to win and run faster than 7.02. Similar situation in the men’s 400 m where only Jereem Richards can change the top position of Benjamin Lobo Vedel, but he would need to finish at least third but in that case with a better time than 45.98. The overall prize money for the WIT winner is 10 000 USD and Wild Card for World Indoors in Glasgow 2024.