Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2008-03-07 From: Xinhuanet

VALENCIA, Spain, March 7 (Xinhua) — The 12th IAAF (the International Association of Athletics Federations) World Indoor Championships opened in Spanish coastal city of Valencia on Friday.

Among the 646 athletes from 157 countries and regions are 21 reigning world indoor or outdoor champions, including 14 winners at the last world indoor championships in Moscow in 2006 such as Russian women’s pole vault great Yelena Isinbayeva and U.S. shot putter Reese Hoffa.

Liu, also Olympic champion in men’s 110 meters hurdles, is expected to have a fierce fight for the 60 meters hurdles gold against in-form Cuban Dayron Robles on Saturday.

The 21-year-old Robles, silver medalist in the last World Indoor Championships in Moscow, cracked 7.33 seconds in the 60 meters hurdles, only three hundredths of a second outside the world record held by Briton Colin Jackson.

A total of 26 events, 13 each for both men and women, are being competed at the championships.

China has sent a team of six male athletes and five female athletes, who will compete in eight events.

A total bonus of 2,490,000 U.S. dollars are on offer for these championships. The gold medalist will be awarded 40,000 U.S. dollars, silver medalist 20,000 dollars and bronze medalist 10,000 dollars.

An additional bonus of 50,000 dollars will be awarded to any athlete breaking world record in the championships.

On Friday, three gold medals will be decided in men’s shot put, men’s 60 meters and women’s 60 meters. Qualification will also be held for men’s high jump and long jump, both women’s and men’s triple jump, both men’s and women’s 3000 meters, both men’s and women’s 400 meters, women’s pole pault, men’s 1500 meters.