Valerie Adams of New Zealand competes in the Women's Shot Put Final during day two - WIC Istanbul (© Getty Images)
New Zealand’s Valerie Adams is a firm favourite to add to her 2008 and 2012 victories, following her impressive return from ankle and knee surgery to throw 20.19m outdoors at home in Christchurch last month.
The 29-year-old two-time Olympic champion and four-time world outdoor champion will be looking to extend her extraordinary winning streak to 44 finals.
Should she succeed, she would join Svetlana Krivelyova as the only three-time winner of the women's shot at the World Indoor Championships.
But her return from surgery could mean that Adams is more vulnerable than usual. And unfortunately for her, Germany’s Christina Schwanitz is in the form of her life.
Silver medallist behind Adams in Moscow, Schwanitz should be Adams' closest challenger. Schwanitz is unbeaten in five competitions this year and boasts the top five indoor distances in the world in 2014 with a best of 20.05m.
The battle for bronze could be as close as the fight for gold. Russia's Olympic silver medallist Yevgeniia Kolodko, Romania's Anca Heltne and Belarusian champion Alena Kopets have all won medals at past major indoor championships and could do so again in Sopot.
Nicola Bamford for the IAAF
