With the competition areas of the Velódromo Luis Puig” especially resurfaced for the 12th IAAF World Indoor Championships, Valencia, Spain (7 – 9 March), with the same covering as will be used for 2008 Olympic Games, and many of the world’s top athletes breaking their winter training schedule to compete, the athletics world is preparing for three days of exciting action in the venue which hosted the 1998 European Indoor Championships.

Shot Put

In the Shot Put, the American duo of Reese Hoffa and Christian Cantwell are head and shoulders above the rest of the field. Hoffa is the defending champion – as well as the reigning champion outdoors – while Cantwell won the title four years ago in Budapest, where Hoffa took silver.

Cantwell arrives on the heels of his 21.51m victory at the U.S. championships, with four wins in six competitions under his hefty belt this season. The 27-year-old put beyond 22m (22.18) for the first time indoors, and has produced four of the year’s seven farthest efforts. Conversely, Hoffa has won just once in five starts, but has been consistent, throwing beyond 21m in all but one outing.

While he has produced many big throws over the past five years, a major negative Cantwell is hoping to put behind him is his performances when it most counts. Since his 2004 World indoor title, he’s finished out of the medals in every major competition.

Looking for an upset will be Dutchman Rutger Smith (20.89 NR), German Peter Sack (20.88), and Slovenia’s Miran Vodovnik (20.68 NR).

Read more Men’s Events PREVIEW – Valencia 2008 from iaaf.org