The upcoming World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow from March 1-3 will showcase a remarkable lineup featuring twenty reigning world champions and seven gold medalists from the Tokyo Olympics.
A grand total of 651 athletes, hailing from 133 teams, are poised to participate in this esteemed competition. The following is a detailed preview of the women's events, providing insights into each exciting competition.
60 metres:
Julien Alfred set the fastest times in the world this year over both the 60 metres with 6.99 at the Millrose Games in New York and the 200 metres with 22.16 in Albuquerque. Alfred is aiming to become the first athlete from Santa Lucia to win a medal in the history of the World Indoor Championships. The best result ever at the World Indoor Championships for this small Caribbean Island of about 180000 inhabitants was achieved by high jumper Lavern Spencer, who finished fifth in Portland 2016.
Alfred won the 2023 NCAA indoor titles in the 60m with 6.94 and 200m with 22.01 (both performances moved her up into second on the world all-time list), the NCAA outdoor titles in the 100m with 10.72 (+2.3 m/s) and in the 200m with 21.73 (+2.5 m/s). The Caribbean sprinter finished fifth in the 100m in 10.93 and fourth in the 200m in 22.05 at the World Championships in Budapest. She won the Bowerman Award, the prize given to the best collegiate athlete every year. Alfred has been coached by Edrick Floreal since the start of 2019. Floreal, who coached Jasmine Camacho Quinn and Kendra Harrison in the past, now trains a group of great athletes that includes Alfred, 2019 world 200m champion Dina Asher Smith and 400 NCAA outdoor champion Rhasidat Adeleke.
Ewa Swoboda is ranked second in the world seasonal list with her best time of 7.01 set when she won the 60 metres at the World Indoor Tour Gold in Torun this year. The Polish star also won the 60 metres in Lodz in 7.04 and the national indoor title in 7.05 in Torun.
Swoboda is targeting her first global senior medal in the same Emirates Arena in Glasgow, where she won the European 60 metres gold medal in 2019.
In her career she also won two European Indoor silver medals in Belgrade 2017 and Istanbul 2023 and finished fourth at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade. She set a national indoor record in the 60 metres with 6.99 at the 2022 Polish Championships in Torun. She finished sixth in the 100 metres in 10.97 in the first final of her career at the World Championships in the 100 metres in Budapest.
Zaynab Dosso improved her Italian record twice to 7.09 in the heats and to 7.05 in the final, where she finished second to Swoboda at the Orlen Cup in Lodz last January. She went on to place second to Swoboda improving her national record to 7.02 at the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Torun and won her second national 60 metres title in 7.06 in Ancona. In her final test before Glasgow she won the 60 metres at the ISTAF Indoor meeting in Berlin in 7.09.
In her first appearance at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade 2022 Dosso improved her Italian record by 0.02 to 7.14 in the 60m heats before clocking 7.16 in the semifinal. The sprinter of Ivorian origin equalled Manuela Levorato’s national 100m record with 11.14 in the heats of the World Championships in Budapest. She won the European bronze medal with the 4x100 relay in Munich 2022 and broke the Italian 4x100 relay record with 42.14 before finishing fourth in the final with 42.49 at the World Championships in Budapest.
Aleia Hobbs won her second consecutive US indoor title in the 60 metres in 7.02 at altitude in Albuquerque two weeks ago. Hobbs set the second fastest time in history clocking 6.94 at last year’s edition of the National indoor Championships and won the 100m US outdoor title in 10.91 in Des Moines in 2018.
Mikiah Brisco won two editions of the US Indoor Championships in 2020 and 2022, the world indoor silver medal in 6.99 in Belgrade 2022 and finished second at this year’s US Indoor Championships in 7.06.
Shashalee Forbes from Jamaica set her 60 metres PB outdoors clocking 7.03 in Kingston this year. She won the 60 metres at the ISTAF Indoor meeting in Dusseldorf in 7.11 and finished third in Torun behind Swoboda and second in New York behind Alfred in 7.14.
Patrizia Van der Weken improved her national record to 7.09 at the home meeting in Luxembourg and won the 60m in Paris Bercy in 7.15. She won the 100 metres gold medal at the World University Games in Chengdu in 11.20 last year.
400 metres:
Femke Bol broke her own world indoor record by 0.02 clocking 49.24 at the Dutch Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn. Bol returned to the venue where she set her first world indoor record with 49.26 at last year’s edition of the National Championships. Bol won two more 400 metres races this year in Metz with 49.69 and in Liévin with 49.63 and improved her PB to 22.64 in the 200 metres. During her career she broke the 50 seconds barrier six times and holds six of the twelve fastest indoor 400 metres times in history. Bol won two European indoor gold medals in the 400 metres in Torun 2021 in 50.63 and Istanbul 2023 in 49.85. Outdoors she won the Olympic silver medal in 400 metres hurdles in a European record of 52.03 in Tokyo, the world silver medal in Eugene 2022 in 52.27 and the world gold medal in Budapest 2023 in 51.70 and set the European record in the 400 metres hurdles with 51.45 at the Diamond League meeting in London last July. In the past edition of the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade 2022 she won the silver medal in the 400 metres behind Shaunae Miller Uibo.
Bol’s training partner Lieke Klaver finished second at the Dutch Indoor Championships in 50.10 moving to ninth on the world all-time list. Klaver won two European silver medals behind Bol in Torun 2021 and Istanbul 2023.
Alexia Holmes set the third fastest time in the world this year when she won the US Championships in Albuquerque in 50.34. Holmes won the world gold medal in the mixed 4x400 relay in Budapest. Talitha Diggs finished second to Holmes at the US Indoor Championships in 51.23 and won the 300 metres at the Millrose Games in New York. Diggs won the NCAA title in 50.22 and the US National title in 49.99 in 2022.
The British hopes are carried by Laviai Nielsen, who set a seasonal best of 51.11 in Liévin and won the National indoor title in 51.54 beating her twin sister Lina Nielsen.
The other top European athletes to watch are 20-year-old Henriette Jaeger from Norway, European under 23 silver medallist in Espoo 2023 in the 400 metres in 51.06 and second placer at the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Ostrava in 51.05 this year, Romania’s Andrea Miklos, winner at the World Indoor Tour meeting in Madrid in a PB of 51.11, and Ayomide Folorunso from Italy, sixth placer in the 400 metres hurdles at the World Championships in Budapest and Italian record holder in this discipline in 53.89.
800 metres:
Ethiopia’s Habitam Alemu set the world seasonal lead clocking 1:57.86 in Torun and finished fourth in the 1500 metres in 4:00.97 in Liévin.
Jemma Reekie from Great Britain won the British indoor title setting the European seasonal lead with 1:58.24 in Birmingham. The Scottish athlete also finished second in Metz in 1:59.42 and won in Liévin in 2:00.40. She finished fourth at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in her PB of 1:56.90 in 2021 and fifth at the European Championships in Munich 2022.
Halimah Nakaayi from Uganda is looking to win her second world indoor medal two years after finishing third in Belgrade 2022 in 2:00.86. Nakaayi won the world outdoor gold medal in 1:58.04 in Doha 2019. She won in Metz setting a seasonal best of 1:59.15.
The US team will be formed by Allie Wilson and Addison Wiley, who finished first and second at the National Championships in Albuquerque in 2:00.63 and 2:00.70 this year. Wilson set an outdoor PB of 1:58.09 in Lausanne 2022. Wiley finished fifth at the World under 20 Championships in Cali 2022 and improved her PB to 1:57.64 in Bellinzona in 2023.
Another athlete to watch is Audrey Werro from Switzerland, who won the world under 20 silver medal in Cali 2022 and the European under title in Jerusalem 2023.
1500 metres:
Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu won three World Indoor Tour Gold races, two in the 1500m in Torun setting the world seasonal lead with 3:55.28 and in Liévin with 3:57.24 and one over the mile distance in Ostrava in 4:17.36. Hailu is chasing her second world indoor medal two years after finishing second in the 800 metres in Belgrade 2022. She finished fourth in the 1500m at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021 in 3:57.60 and at the World Championships in Eugene 2022.
Diribe Welteji won the mile in Astana in 4:23.76 and finished second in the 1500 metres in Torun in 3:55.47 and Liévin in 3:57.48. The Ethiopian athlete finished second in the 1500 metres at the World outdoor Championships in Budapest in 3:55.69 and finished fourth in the 800 metres at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene in 1:57.02.
3000 metres:
Gudaf Tsegay is aiming to win her third world indoor medal. Tsegay finished third in the 1500m in Portland 2016 and won the gold medal over the same distance in Belgrade 2022 setting a championships record of 3:57.19. The Ethiopia athlete won two world gold medals in the 5000 metres in Eugene 2022 and in the 10000 metres in Budapest 2023 and broke the world 5000 metres record by clocking 14:00.21 at the Diamond League Final in Eugene. This year she won two World Indoor Tour races in the 1500 metres in Boston in 3:58.11 and in the 3000 metres in Liévin in 8:17.11 setting the third fastest time in history.
Ethiopia’s Hirut Meshesha dipped under the 8:30 barrier this year clocking 8:28.46 in Metz and 8:29.71 in Liévin. Meshesha won the world indoor silver medal in the 1500m in Belgrade 2022.
Laura Muir will the run the 3000 metres in front of her home fans. Muir claimed 1500m silver and 3000m bronze at the 2018 World Indoor Championships in Birmingham. The Scottish athlete scored a 1500m-3000m double gold medal at the 2019 European Indoor Championships at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, the Olympic silver medal in the 1500 metres in a British record of 3:54.30 in Tokyo 2021, the world outdoor bronze medal in the 1500 metres in Eugene 2022 and two European outdoor gold medals in Berlin 2018 and Munich 2022. During this indoor season Muir won the 2 miles race at the Millrose Games in 9:04.84 and the 3000 metres at the British Indoor Championships in Birmingham in 8:58.80.
Elle St. Pierre will chase her second medal at the World Indoor Championships two years after winning the silver medal in the 3000 metres in 8:42.02 in Belgrade. The US athlete set two US records during the World Indoor Tour season by clocking 4:16.41 in the mile in New York and 8:25.25 in the 3000 metres in Boston.
Jessica Hull from Australia also performed well on the World Indoor Tour this season. She won the 3000 metres in Boston setting the Oceanian indoor record with 8:24.93 and finished second at the Wanamaker Mile in New York in 4:19.03.
Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech improved the national indoor record in the 1500 metres to 4:01.17 in Torun e her PB to 8:30.87 in Liévin. Chepkoech set the world record in the 3000 metres steeplechase in Monaco in 2019 a few weeks before winning the world title in Doha in the same discipline. Last year Chepkoech won the world indoor silver medal in Budapest in the 3000 metres steeplechase in 8:58.98 and finished second in the Diamond League final in Eugene in 8:51.67.
60 metres hurdles
Devynne Charlton from Bahamas broke Susanna Kallur’s 16-year-old world indoor record by one hundredth of a second with 7.67 at the Millrose Games in New York and won in Madrid setting the second fastest time in her career with 7.68 last week.
Charlton started her season with 7.88 in Lousville (Kentucky) on 13 January and followed this result with a national record of 7.75 on 20 January in Lubbock (Texas). She then finished third in the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Boston in 7.76.
Charlton won the world indoor silver medal in Belgrade 2022 and placed fourth at the World Championships in the 100 metres hurdles in Budapest 2023
The US team will be represented by Masai Russell and Christina Clemons. Russell finished third in the 60 metres hurdles at the US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque in 7.80 after setting her seasonal best with 7.79 in the semifinal. She finished second at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque in her lifetime best of 7.75 and at the NCAA outdoor Championships in the 100 metres hurdles in Austin in 12.32 and third at the US Championships in Eugene in the 100 metres hurdles in 12.46.
Clemons will return to the World Indoor Championships six years after winning the silver medal in Birmingham 2018. The 33-year-old US hurdler finished fourth at the US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque in 7.90.
Cyrena Samba Mayela from France will defend her world indoor title two years after winning in a national record of 7.78 in Belgrade 2022 . The French hurdler recently won the French indoor title in 7.87 in Miramas.
Nadine Visser from the Netherlands won two World Indoor Tour races in Metz and Torun clocking the same time of 7.80 and finished second in Madrid in her seasonal best of 7.78. Visser won two European Indoor gold medals in Glasgow 2019 in 7.87 and Torun 2021 in her PB of 7.77 and the bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham 2018 in 7.84.
Pia Skrzyszowska from Poland, who won the European outdoor gold medal in Munich 2022, claimed two World Indoor Tour wins this year in Lodz in 7.85 and Ostrava in 7.82 and finished second in Torun in 7.81.
Reetta Hurske from Finland won the European Indoor gold medal in Istanbul 2023 equalling the national record with 7.79.
High jump:
Yaroslava Mahuchik will aim to win her second consecutive world indoor gold medal. Two years ago the Ukrainian high jumper won in Belgrade with 2.02m. She has remained unbeaten in her two competitions this year in Cottbus with a world lead of 2.04m and at the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in New York with 2.00m. Mahuchik claimed the world outdoor gold medal with 2.01m in Budapest 2023, two world outdoor silver medals in Doha 2019 with a world under 20 record of 2.04m and in Eugene 2022 with 2.02m, the Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo 2021 with 2.00m, the European outdoor title in Munich 2022 with 1.95m and the European indoor title in Istanbul 2023 with 1.98m.
Mahuchik will face Nicola Olyslagers from Australia in one of the most exciting head-to-head of these championships. Olyslagers started her 2024 season on a high note by setting the Oceanian outdoor record with 2.03m and won at the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Melbourne with 1.99m. Olyslagers won the Olympic silver medal with 2.02m in Tokyo 2021 and the world bronze medal with 1.99m in Budapest 2023.
Eleanor Patterson from Australia won the world outdoor gold medal in Eugene setting her PB with 2.02m, the world silver medal in Budapest 2023 with 1.99m and the world indoor silver medal in Belgrade 2022 with 2.00m.
Vashti Cunningham made her breakthrough in 2016 when she won the world indoor title on home soil in Portland at the age of 18. The daughter of former American Football legend Randall Cunningham went on to win the world outdoor bronze medal in Doha 2019 with 2.00m. This year the US jumper finished second to Mahuchik at the Millrose Games in New York with a seasonal best of 1.97m and won the US indoor title in Albuquerque with 1.92m.
Angelina Topic will aim to win her first world senior medal. The 18-year-old Serbian high jumper won the European under 18 and under 20 titles in Jerusalem in 2022 and 2023, the bronze medals at the World Under 20 Championships in Cali and at the European Championships in Munich in 2022 with 1.93m. The daughter of 1990 high jump European champion Dragutin Topic equalled her Serbian indoor record by clearing 1.97m in Banska Bystrika this indoor season.
The British crowd will cheer on 2014 world high jump and heptathlon champion Morgan Lake, who placed fourth with 1.97m at the World Championships in Budapest 2023. Lake broke the British high jump record with 1.99m in Hustopece in 2023.
The other athletes to watch are Christina Honsel from Germany, who set a PB of 1.98 in Weinheim in 2023, and Lia Apostolovski from Slovenia, who won the European Under 23 bronze medal in Tallin 2021 and cleared 1.95m in Banska Bystrika meeting.
Pole vault:
Molly Caudery from Great Britain will be aiming to win a gold medal in front of her home fans. Caudery set the two best performances in the world this year with 4.86m in the French pole vault meeting in Rouen and 4.85m at the British Championships in Birmingham. The British pole vaulter placed fifth at the World Championships in Budapest last August improving her PB to 4.75m.
Katie Moon won the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo 2021 with 4.90m and two consecutive world outdoor titles in Eugene 2022 with 4.85m and Budapest 2023 with 4.90m. Moon won the US indoor title in Albuquerque with 4.80m.
Eliza McCartney from New Zealand won the Olympic bronze medal and finished fourth at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham 2018. She won the World Indoor Tour Gold competition in Liévin setting the second best performance in the world this year with 4.84m.
Sandi Morris is chasing her third world indoor title after winning in Birmingham 2018 with 4.95m and in Belgrade 2022 with 4.85m. Morris set a seasonal best of 4.82m in Reno (Nevada) and placed second with 4.75m at the US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque.
USA’s Bridget Williams finished second with her PB 4.83m in Clermont Ferrand and third in Rouen with 4.80m.
Alysha Newman from Canada improved her own national record by 1 cm to 4.83m to win in Clermont Ferrand last week.
Wilma Murto from Finland improved her national record to 4.81m in Kuortane. The Finnish pole vaulter will be aiming to add another title to her collection that includes the gold medals at the European outdoor Championships in Munich 2022 and at the European indoor Championships in Istanbul 2023.
Angelica Moser, European Indoor champion in Torun 2021 with 4.75m, placed third in Liévin with her seasonal best of 4.73m.
The line-up also features 2016 Olympic champion Ekaterini Stefanidi, who cleared 4.64m in Seattle this year, Roberta Bruni, Italian outdoor holder with 4.73m, Margot Chevrier from France, fifth at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul 2023, Amalie Svabikova from Czech Republic, third at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul 2023 with 4.70m.
Long Jump:
Tara Davis Woodhall set the world seasonal lead of 7.18m when she won the US indoor title in Albuquerque. With this mark she missed Brittney Reese’s US indoor record by five cm. The US long jumper also won in Fayetteville with 6.76m and at the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Boston with 6.86m. She claimed the world silver medal with 6.91m in Budapest 2023.
Larissa Iapichino won the European indoor silver medal breaking the Italian indoor record with 6.97m last March and the European Under 23 gold medal in Espoo with her outdoor PB of 6.93m. She also won three Diamond League competitions in Florence, Stockolm and Monaco. This winter she won the Italian indoor title in Ancona setting her seasonal best of 6.80m and placed third in Berlin with 6.75m.
Ese Brume from Nigeria won the world silver medal in Eugene 2022 and the Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo 2021. Brume set a seasonal best of 6.84m in Houston.
Mikaelle Assani finished second at the German Indoor Championships in Leipzig with a PB of 6.91m. She won the European under 20 silver in Tallin 2021.
Swiss heptathlete Annik Kaelin won two national indoor titles in the long jump with 6.76m and the 60 metres hurdles in 7.99 in St. Gallen. Kaelin won the European bronze medal in the heptathlon in Munich 2022 with 6515 points and finished sixth in the long jump with 6.61m at the European Championships in Istanbul 2023.
The other top contenders are Alina Rotaru Kottman from Romania, world bronze medallist in Budapest, and Milica Gardasevic from Serbia, European under 20 champion in Grosseto 2017 and second at the recent World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Madrid with 6.64m.
Triple jump:
Leyanis Perez Hernandez set the world leading performance with 14.86m in Mondeville and won another competition on French soil in Metz with 14.45m. The 22-year-old Cuban jumper won the world outdoor bronze in Budapest with 14.96m and finished fourth at the World Championships in Eugene 2022. The Cuban team also features Liadagmis Povea, who finished fifth at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021 with 14.70m and sixth at the World Championships in Budapest 2023 with 14.87m.
Thea Lafond from Dominica is second on the world seasonal list with her jump of 14.60m set achieved in Virginia Beach. Lafond finished fourth at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade 2022 and fifth at the past two editions of the World outdoor Championships in Eugene 2022 and Budapest 2023.
Two-time Olympic and world finalist Keturah Orji won the US indoor title in Albuquerque setting the third best performance in the world this year with 14.50m.
Jasmine Moore finished second in the long jump with 6.93m and in the triple jump with 14.43m at the 2024 US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, but she chose to compete in the triple jump in Glasgow. Last year Moore won her seventh career NCAA title, setting the NCAA indoor record with 15.12m in Albuquerque.
Ana Peleteiro-Compaoré from Spain won the Spanish indoor title with 14.32m setting her best performance since she gave birth to her daughter in December 2022. Peleteiro, who is married to French triple jumper Benjamin, won the European Indoor title with 14.73m in Glasgow 2019 and the Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo 2021 with a national record of 14.87m.
Shot put:
Chase Ealey Jackson will aim to add a world indoor gold medal to her collection which includes two world outdoor gold medals in Eugene 2022 with 20.49m and in Budapest 2023 with 20.43m and the world indoor silver medal in Belgrade 2022 with 20.21. Jackson won the fourth US Indoor title of her career with 20.02m.
Maggie Ewen won the National indoor title with 19.79m in 2022 and finished second this year behind Jackson with 19.14m.
Jessica Schilder won the Dutch Indoor title in Apeldoorn with a national indoor record and a world seasonal lead of 20.31m. Schilder won the world bronze medal in Eugene with 19.77m and the European outdoor medal in Munich with 20.24m in 2022.
Sarah Mitton from Canada won the Commonwealth Games In Birmingham 2022 and the world silver medal in Budapest 2023 with 20.08m. She set a seasonal best of 20.08m in Nehvizdy (Czech Republic).
Danniel Thomas Dodd from Jamaica won two silver medals at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham 2018 and at the World outdoor Championships in Doha 2019.
Yemisi Ogunleye from Germany set a seasonal best of 19.57m in Nordhausen and won the German Indoor title in Leipzig with 18.91m.
Pentathlon:
Maria Vicente from Spain set the world seasonal best mark with 4728 points in Aubière last January. In this competition she leapt to 6.65m in the long jump. The 21-year-old Spanish athlete also won the 60 metres hurdles national title in Ourense in 8.06. She won the world under 18 title in Nairobi 2021, the European under 20 gold medal in Boras 2019 and the European under 23 gold medal in Espoo 2023 in the heptathlon and two European under 18 gold medals in the heptathlon and in the triple jump at the European under 18 Championships in Gyor 2018.
Noor Vidts from Belgium won the world indoor title with her pentathlon PB of 4929 point in Belgrade. Vidts also won the silver medal at the European Indoor Championships in Torun 2021 with 4721 and the bronze medal at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul 2023 with 4823.
Saga Vanninen from Finland won two consecutive world under 20 titles in Nairobi 2021 and Cali 2022 and the European under 23 gold medal in Espoo 2023 with 6317 points. The Finnish athlete finished fourth in Goetzis with 6391 and ninth at the World Championships in Budapest with 6289 in 2023.
Szabina Szucz from Hungary finished third in Aubière in the pentathlon this year with 4491 points and won the national title with 4568 points in Budapest in 2024.
Sofie Dokter from the Netherlands finished fourth at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul with 4499 points and the European Under 23 silver in Espoo in the heptathlon with 6256 points in 2023.
Sveva Gerevini improved her own Italian record to 4538 points in the pentathlon in Aubière and finished third in the long jump at the Italian Indoor Championships in Ancona with 6.21m. Gerevini finished eighth at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul 2023 with 4363 points.
Yulia Loban from the Ukraine won the pentathlon at the Tallin meeting with 4537 points. Loban finished second at the World University Games in Chengdu in the heptathlon last year.
Bianca Salming from Sweden finished second in the pentathlon in Tallin with 4523 point and eighth at the European Championships in the heptathlon in Munich 2022 with her lifetime best of 6185.
4x400 relay:
World outdoor champions Netherlands will fight against the USA for the gold medal in the 4x400 relay. The Netherlands will be led by 400m world indoor record holder Femke Bol and Lieke Klaver
Alexis Holmes has been entered in the US team. The 4x400 relay could feature a re-match between Bol and Holmes, who ran shoulder to shoulder in the mixed 4x400 relay at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest until Bol crashed to the ground with just metres to go.
The US team also features Talitha Diggs and Quanera Hayes, who boast sub-50 seconds PBs outdoors and finished second and third at this year’s US Championships in Albuquerque.
Jamaica beat the Netherlands by 0.17 to win the gold medal at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade.
Great Britain could fight for a medal in front of the home crowd. The British team will feature twin sisters Laviai and Lina Nielsen, who improved their PBs this year with 51.11 and 51.95 respectively.
Poland is another major contender after reaching the podium at the past three editions.
The other teams entered are Czech Republic, Belgium, Portugal and Ireland.
The world record set by Russia in Glasgow on 28 January 2006 with 3:23.37 could be under threat.