Athletes aim to set benchmark for Beijing Olympics

The evergreen Maria Mutola, long distance sensation Meseret Defar, pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva and 60 metres hurdler Susanna Kallur will be among the attractions in the women's events.

As for the men, there are mouth-watering contests in prospect in the 60 metre hurdles, the shot put and the middle distance events, while Olympic champion Stefan Holm will be targeting a fourth indoor crown in the high jump.

Although he cannot compete in Beijing, British sprinter Dwain Chambers will also be in the spotlight after his controversial return to athletics following a two-year doping ban for the designer steroid THG.

For Mutola, the most successful indoor athlete of all time, Valencia will be a special occasion as she bids for an eighth gold medal in the 800 before she retires at the end of the season after 15 years at the top.

"I've got two dreams to fulfil this year. The first is to defend my title in Valencia and the second is to get gold in Beijing," the 35-year-old said recently.

Mutola, who won Mozambique's first Olympic gold in Sydney in 2000, will face tough competition with Russia's Natalya Ignatova and home favourite Mayte Martinez amongst her rivals.

Ethiopia's Defar is one of four world outdoor and indoor champions competing in Valencia.

The world and Olympic 5,000 metre gold medallist ran the fastest ever indoor two miles in Boston and is hot favourite to emulate Gabriela Szabo and win a third consecutive 3,000 metre title, while world record holder Yelena Soboleva will take some beating in the 1,500.

Pole vaulter Isinbayeva, who also took gold at the last outdoor and indoor championships, broke the 21st world record of her career when she set a new indoor best of 4.95 metres in Donetsk last month.

But the 25-year-old suffered her first defeat since February 2004 when she lost to fellow Russian Svetlana Feofanova in Bydgoszcz last month.

Swedish hurdler Kallur set a new world's best of 7.68 in the 60 metres hurdles in Karlsruhe last month.

A notable absentee, however, will be compatriot Carolina Kluft who had to withdraw from the heptathlon because of injury, leaving the way open for rival Kelly Sotherton to take the multi-event crown.

Another Swede, Holm, will be looking to make headlines by winning his fourth indoor world title in the men's high jump but the 31-year-old will be facing stiff competition from champion Yaroslav Rybakov and fellow Russian Andrey Tereshin.

In the throws, there is an intriguing American duel in the shot put between outdoor and indoor champion Reese Hoffa and Christian Cantwell who has broken the 22 metre barrier (22.18) for the first time indoors this season.

Head-to-head

On the track China's Liu Xiang goes head-to-head with Cuba's Dayron Robles in the 60 metre hurdles with Colin Jackson's 14-year-old world record of 7.30 seconds under serious threat.

Wilfred Bungei is unable to defend his 800 metres title because of injury, but fellow Kenyan Daniel Kipchirchir Komen is the front runner in the 1,500 after setting the leading mark this year.

In the sprints Chambers has a real chance of a medal, but the 29-year-old is likely to face more questions about past doping more than current form after UK Athletics' reluctant decision to include him in their team.