2026 World Indoor Athletics Opens in Toruń

The 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships opened Friday in Toruń, Poland, drawing 674 athletes from 118 countries to the Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena for three days of competition across 26 events. The biennial meet, which awards 81 medals, features top performers on one of Europe's fastest indoor tracks, with sessions running through Sunday, March 22.

Hosted in the historic city known for astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, the championships serve as a key highlight in a year without the Olympics or outdoor world titles. Athletes compete in sprints, middle-distance races, field events, and multi-event disciplines, with finals spread across morning and evening sessions. Defending champions, including pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis and sprinter Jeremiah Azu, aim to retain their titles amid strong fields, while newcomers seek breakthroughs.

Ireland fields an 11-member team, led by Kate O'Connor of Dundalk St. Gerard's AC, who enters as the defending silver medalist in the women's pentathlon from last year's event in Nanjing, China. That achievement marked Ireland's first medal at the indoor worlds since Derval O'Rourke's 60m hurdles gold in 2006. The 25-year-old recently set personal...