Samantha Watson winning the girls' 800m at the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015 (© Getty Images)
With the top six athletes on the 2016 world list absent for varying reasons, the United States could reclaim the title from four years ago, which was won by Ajee Wilson.
Samantha Watson’s career path is following a similar trajectory to Wilson, who won world U18 and U20 titles in back-to-back years. The 16-year-old high school student won her national junior title in a lifetime best of 2:02.91 last month ahead of Aaliyah Miller in 2:02.96, suggesting a US 1-2 in Bydgoszcz could be possible.
Margaret Wambui won this title two years ago, but a repeat Kenyan victory doesn’t look likely as national junior champion Josephine Chelangat was a well-beaten third at the East African Junior Championships in 2:08.6 behind Ethiopia’s Tigist Ketema (2:04.9) and Rwanda’s Honorine Iribagiza (2:07.7) who are both competing in Bydgoszcz.
Ethiopia might not be particularly renowned for their exploits over two laps but Ketema is joined on their team by Foyiza Niguse, who was fifth at the World Youth Championships last year.
Other contenders include the highly rated Alina Ammann – who is part of an improving German junior team in the women’s middle distances – and Asian indoor champion Marta Hirpato from Bahrain.
Steven Mills for the IAAF
