Spain will head to the Kujawy Pomorze 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland on 20-22 March with a team blending international medallists, national record holders and newly crowned Spanish indoor champions, with 13 athletes currently pre-selected.
The provisional squad includes six women and seven men, although the delegation could still grow once the World Athletics top performance list closes.
Several additional Spanish athletes remain in contention depending on quota adjustments and withdrawals from other countries.
Canales and Attaoui spearhead 800m medal bid
Leading the team is Elvin Josué Canales, the national indoor 800m record holder and bronze medallist at the most recent World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing in 2025.
Canales arrives in Poland in strong form after running 1:45.44 this season and will again target the podium in one of the championships’ most competitive events.
Spain’s 800m strength is further underlined by the presence of Mohamed Attaoui, the European silver medallist from Rome 2024 who finished fifth at both the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 and the World Championships in Tokyo 2025.
The pair could form one of the strongest Spanish middle-distance challenges in recent indoor championships.
Llopis keen for podium bid
Another leading medal hopeful is Enrique Llopis in the men’s 60m hurdles. The Spanish record holder has enjoyed an outstanding season, lowering his national mark to 7.45 – the fifth-fastest time in the world this year – and arrives eager to improve on his fourth-place finish in Nanjing last year.
He will be joined by fellow international finalist Asier Martínez, bronze medallist in the 110m hurdles at the Oregon 2022 World Athletics Championships.
Spain’s middle-distance tradition is also represented by 2022 world indoor 800m champion Mariano García, who returns to the 1500m at the global indoor championships for the first time in four years.
He will compete alongside Carlos Sáez, who lowered his indoor personal best to 3:35.94 this season.
Among the women, distance runner Marta García arrives in excellent form after improving her own Spanish indoor 3000m record to 8:34.28 in Liévin last month, placing her among the world’s top performers this year.
In the sprints, Jaël Bestué will contest the 60m, while emerging quarter-milers Paula Sevilla and Blanca Hervás are set to make their World Athletics Indoor Championships debuts in the 400m.