Venezuelan pole vaulter Robeilys Peinado (© Getty Images)
The primary focus here falls on two women: Venezuela’s Robeilys Peinado, the season’s most consistent, and Wilma Murto of Finland, who set a world U20 record* of 4.71m indoors earlier this year.
Peinado, the 2013 world U18 champion who is based in Poland part of the year, has clearances at 4.56m, 4.55m and a pair at 4.50m to her name this season. Her personal best of 4.60m from 2015 is also the South American U20 record.
She will be keen to make amends for her performance in Eugene two years ago when she failed to register a height in the qualifying round. But consistent performances at IAAF World Challenge meetings – third in Ostrava, fourth in Hengelo and a victory in Dakar – have prepped the 18-year-old well for a return to a global championships podium.
Murto, meanwhile, hasn't reproduced her mid-winter form, but the 18-year-old topped 4.50m three times in June, most recently at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku where she cleared an outdoor PB of 4.52m to finish second. Last week she collected valuable big-meet experience, reaching the final at the European Championships where she finished seventh with 4.45m.
Sweden’s Lisa Gunnarsson, just 16, is another medal threat with a pair of 4.50m clearances to her credit this season, both world U18 bests.
The field also includes four finalists from the IAAF World Youth Championships Cali 2015: silver medallist Chen Qiaoling of China, fifth-place finisher Hanne De Baene of Belgium, Germany's Tamara Schassberger and Rachel Baxter of the US.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
*Subject to the usual ratification procedures
