Ruth Beitia in the high jump at the IAAF World Indoor Championships (© AFP / Getty Images)
European champion Ruth Beitia already has the accolade of being the oldest ever medallist in this event after her bronze in Sopot two years ago and the 36-year-old Spaniard could well extend that statistic in Portland following her 1.98m clearance at the Spanish Championships last month.
At the other end of the age scale is USA’s Vashti Cunningham, who only turned 18 in January and who is less than half Beitia’s age.
Cunningham, the daughter of NFL great Randall Cunningham, cleared a world U20 indoor record of 1.99m to win the US title on Saturday and, by virtue of this event being a straight final, will be the youngest ever high jump finalist in the history of the World Indoor Championships.
In contrast to the vastly experienced Beitia, Cunningham has only been to one major international championship, last year’s Pan American Junior Championships, which she won with ease but her poise in Portland last weekend suggests she’s likely to be able to cope with aplomb at the biggest competition of her life so far.
Poland’s defending champion Kamila Licwinko has had three solid competitions, including a season’s best of 1.97m to win in Lodz last month and so also has to be considered a good bet for a medal.
Lithuania’s Airine Palsyte has also gone over 1.97m and will be hoping to finally do herself justice at this competition after crashing out in the qualifying rounds at the past three World Indoor Championships.
If Palsyte does climb the podium, she will become only the second Lithuanian athlete to win a medal at these championships after pentathlete Austra Skujyte got bronze medals in 2004 and 2012.
Italy’s 2012 world junior champion Alessia Trost is unbeaten in four competitions this year, clearing a season’s best of 1.95m to win in Madrid last month, and the European indoor silver medallist could be in the running for her first global medal as a senior athlete.
Phil Minshull for the IAAF
