This Friday, February 6, the best athletics in the world arrives at the CDM Gallur for a new edition of the World Indoor Tour Gold Madrid, the fourth stop of the World Athletics world circuit in its highest category.
European, world, and Olympic medalists will gather for an evening promising record-breaking events. Five years later, Madrid hosts another world record attempt. This time, it will be Spain's Mohamed Attaoui who will attempt to break the world record in the renowned 1000 meters. His target time of 2:14.20 is one of the meet's flagship events. However, it won't be the only one, as the World Indoor Tour Gold Madrid 2026 will feature international stars in each of the 11 events on the meet's program.
60 meters men
The competition is incredibly tight, with seven athletes who have already broken 6.60 meters in athletics' most explosive event. Omani Ali Al Balushi, with a year's best of 6.52 meters, is poised to challenge the 2026 world record of 6.49 meters. Cuban record holder Jenns Reynold Fernández will also be aiming for that mark, with Americans Coby Hilton and Marcellus Moore as contenders. Great Britain's Eugene Amo-Dadzie and Japan's record holder Shuhei Tada are also in contention for victory in an event that will feature European finalist Guillem Crespí as Spain's top contender.
400 meters women
The CDM Gallur track will host a rematch between two of Europe's top specialists, Lieke Klaver and Paula Sevilla, the continental champion and bronze medalist last year in Apeldoorn. Alongside Sevilla, two other 'Golden Bubbles' like Blanca Hervás and Daniela Fra, and the record holders from Kenya and Puerto Rico, will also compete.
Mercy Oketch and Gabby Scott complete a cast of top-level international sprinters.
800 meters women
This year's world leader, Audrey Werro (1:57.49), arrives in Madrid after achieving the ninth fastest time in history. She will face the entire podium from the last European Championships: Anna Wielgosz (gold), Clara Liberman (silver), and Anita Horvat (bronze). Two WIT Madrid winners, Catriona Bisset and Noélie Yarigo, will be looking to repeat their victories in an event that will feature up to 13 sub-2:00 athletes (including outdoor runners) and the four current Spanish leaders: Rocío Arroyo, Lorea Ibarzabal, Marta Mitjans, and Daniela García.
1000 meters men
European 800m silver medalist Mohamed Attaoui will attack the world record, currently held by Ayanleh Souleiman at 2:14.20. The Spaniard holds the national outdoor record at 2:12.25 and will face two world and European indoor 800m champions in Madrid: Mariano García and Adrián Ben. Also vying for the win are 2021 European silver medalist Mateusz Borkowski and Ethan Hussey, European U23 silver medalist and U20 world bronze medalist.
1500 meters women
Olympic and world medalist Nadia Battocletti is dropping down from the 5000 meters to fine-tune her form for the upcoming World Championships, where she will undoubtedly fight for victory against top-level rivals. Ethiopians Birke Haylom and Saron Berhe, who broke the world under-20 record this past Tuesday, February 3rd, in Ostrava with a time of 4:01.23, are aiming for the world's fastest time of the year (4:00.62), while Portugal's Patrícia Silva, world bronze medalist in the 800 meters, hopes to add another prestigious victory to her record. Will Spain's multiple world record holder, Marta García, be able to challenge them, despite coming from longer distances?
3000 meters men
All eyes are on Ethiopian Getnet Wale, who knows what it's like to run the 3000 meters in 7:24.98, the sixth fastest time in history. His compatriot Wegene Adidu arrives fresh from a podium finish in the mixed relay at the World Cross Country Championships, but he won't be Wale's only rival for the win: Uruguayan Valentín Soca, in incredible form, Belgian John Heymans, Canadian Kieran Lumb, South African Tshepo Tshite, and Portuguese José Carlos Pinto will all make things difficult for the Ethiopian duo.
60 meter hurdles men
One of the meet's star events. The straightaway at the CDM Gallur will host one of the great duels in continental athletics, featuring Italy's Lorenzo Simonelli and Spain's Quique Llopis, the reigning European outdoor champion and runner-up, respectively. Adding to the rivalry is France's Wilhem Belocian, the current European and World Championship runner-up in the 60m hurdles. Llopis and Belgium's Elie Bacari arrive at the meet with season's bests of 7.50 and are poised to challenge for the world record (7.48).
60 meter hurdles women
France's Laeticia Bapté, who holds the 10th best European mark in history (7.76), is the favorite not only to win but also to achieve the world's best mark in 2026 (7.87). Her main rival will be Olympic finalist Alaysha Johnson, but she's not the only one. Ghana's Evonne Britton and Ireland's Sarah Lavin hope to cause an upset in a competition that will also feature Spain's leading athlete this year, Claudia Villalante, and the country's top performer in recent seasons, Xènia Benach.
Women's high jump
The weight of the competition falls on Poland's Maria Zodzik, the 2025 world runner-up and the only competitor to have cleared over two meters at any point. American Charity Hufnagel, Montenegrin Marija Vukovic, and Dutch Britt Weerman will be her strongest rivals, always with the threat of Spain's Una Stancev and the very young (17-year-old) Aitana Alonso.
Women's long jump
The competition will be incredibly close, with all nine participants having cleared 6.65 meters. Only one, Portugal's Agate de Sousa, has cleared seven meters (7.03 m), but Spain's Fátima Diame, with her two world bronze medals, boasts the most impressive record among the entrants. Former U20 world champion Plamena Mitkova, European medalist Khaddi Sagnia, and Spaniards Irati Mitxelena and Carmen Rosales are also among the contenders. So too is American Taliyah Brooks, a double world bronze medalist last year… in combined events.
Men's shot put
The world's leading Olympic medalist this year, Jamaican Rajindra Campbell, returns to WIT Madrid aiming to defend his 2024 victory, when he set the meeting record of 22.16 meters. His main rival will be Mexican Uziel Muñoz, the surprising 2025 world runner-up, who will be looking to surpass 22 meters for the first time. Poland's Konrad Bukowiecki, Americans Jordan Geist and Roger Steen, and Nigeria's Chukwuebuka Cornell Enekwechi can already boast of having jumped 22 meters. European medalists Tsanko Arnaudov and Wictor Petersson complete a list of entrants that promises great excitement at the CDM Gallur.
