ORLEN Copernicus Cup in Torun event by event preview
.jpg/orrlen-copernicus-cup%20(1)__800x599.jpg)
The 2026 ORLEN Copernicus Cup in Toruń will serve as a high-quality dress rehearsal for the upcoming World Indoor Championships, which will take place in the same venue — the Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena — just one month later.
As the final stop of the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold series, athletes will compete not only for individual victories but also for a US$10,000 bonus in the scoring disciplines and valuable wildcard entries for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 2026.
Women’s 60m hurdles
The headline event features a world-class clash between world indoor champion Devynne Charlton, world outdoor champion Ditaji Kambundji, Poland’s star Pia Skrzyszowska, France’s Laeticia Bapté, and two-time European indoor champion Nadine Visser.
Charlton arrives in top form after winning in Liévin in a seasonal best of 7.79, moving to the top of the Tour standings. The Bahamian star also placed second in Boston (7.92) and New York (7.96). She famously set the world indoor record of 7.67 at the Millrose Games before lowering it to 7.65 en route to gold at the 2024 World Indoors in Glasgow, and later claimed another global indoor title in Nanjing in 7.72.
Kambundji returns to Toruń after finishing second here last year in 7.80. The Swiss hurdler captured European indoor gold in Apeldoorn with a European record of 7.67, claimed world indoor silver in 7.73, and secured the world outdoor title in 12.24. This season she has already run 7.84.
Skrzyszowska, who set a world lead of 7.78 in Ostrava before winning the final in 7.80, will have strong home support. She has previously won (2023, 7.79 meeting record), finished second (2024), and fourth (2025) in Toruń. Charlton, Skrzyszowska, and Bapté remain in contention for the overall Tour title.
Visser, European indoor champion in 2019 and 2021, and Bapté, winner in Paris and Madrid this season, add further depth to what promises to be one of the races of the year.
Men’s 800m
Belgium’s Eliott Crestan, a two-time world indoor medallist, has been dominant on the Tour with victories in Ostrava (1:43.83) and Liévin (1:43.91). A top-three finish would secure the overall title, and he may target the meeting record of 1:43.63.
Poland’s Maciej Wyderka, who ran a national indoor record of 1:44.07 in Ostrava, trails Crestan by six points. Portugal’s Isaac Nader, fresh from Tour wins over 3000m and 1500m, drops down in distance, while Britain’s world bronze medallist Ben Pattison adds championship pedigree.
Women’s 60m
Italy’s Zaynab Dosso leads a superb sprint field including Amy Hunt, Ewa Swoboda, and Patrizia Van der Weken. Dosso has already won in Ostrava (7.09) and Belgrade (7.02) and returns as defending champion in Toruń.
Swoboda, world indoor silver medallist in Glasgow, and Van der Weken, European indoor bronze medallist, ensure another high-quality battle over 60 metres.
Women’s long jump
European indoor champion Larissa Iapichino seeks her second Tour win of the season after jumping 6.84m in Karlsruhe. Serbia’s Milica Gardašević leads the standings and could clinch the overall title with a top-two finish. Switzerland’s Annik Kälin, double global indoor silver medallist, is another major contender.
Men’s shot put
Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri headlines a world-class field featuring Joe Kovacs, Rajindra Campbell, and Roger Steen. Fabbri has already thrown a world-leading 22.50m this year and won in Liévin with 21.82m. Campbell can take the overall Tour crown with victory, while Steen currently leads the standings after his 22.07m in Belgrade.
Other highlights
Men’s 60m hurdles: Poland’s Jakub Szymański, European indoor champion and national record holder (7.39), seeks a fifth straight win this season.
Women’s 1500m: Birke Haylom has already secured the Tour title but faces world indoor champion Freweyni Hailu and Olympic silver medallist Tsige Duguma.
Men’s pole vault: Sondre Guttormsen has clinched the overall Tour title but will meet Christopher Nilsen, Menno Vloon, and Ernest John Obiena.
Women’s 400m: Natalia Bukowiecka clashes with Lieke Klaver, who has already secured the Tour crown.
Women’s 800m: Nigist Getachew leads a competitive field including Isabelle Boffey and Anna Wielgosz.
Women’s pentathlon: Adrianna Sułek-Schubert tops the entries in the combined events.
With Tour titles, bonuses, and global championship places at stake, the ORLEN Copernicus Cup promises a spectacular night of elite indoor athletics in Toruń — and a compelling preview of what is to come at the World Indoor Championships.
