The stage is set for another Ariane Friedrich vs Blanka Vlasic duel in Torino. Photo by Picture Alliance

High Jump: Croatian high jump heroine and Torino favourite Blanka Vlašić has got plenty of medals from global competitions but, curiously, is still without a single European senior medal, either indoors or out. However, barring disaster, the most consistent female high jumper in the world for the last two years is likely to change that statistic this coming weekend.

The big question is what colour will her medal be? She has had six outings ahead of Torino and won on five occasions, but lost to Germany's Ariane Friedrich in Karlsruhe on February 13. Both women cleared 2.05m there – the best height in the world so far this year – but Vlašić now knows that she has a serious rival for European supremacy. The only two other woman over two metres this year are the Russian pair of Irina Gordeeva and Viktoriya Klyugina, who have jumped personal bests of 2.01m and 2.00m respectively in recent weeks.

Pole Vault: The competition may miss the presence of the all-conquering Russian Yelena Isinbayeva but there is enough quality to guarantee plenty of fireworks. 

Yuliya Golubchikova will hope to profit from the absence of her countywoman as she bids to go one better than the silver medal she landed at these championships in Birmingham two years ago.

The Russian, aside from one below-par performance in Birmingham, has performed consistently well this season and a best of 4.71m marks her out as a potential gold medallist.

Silke Spiegelburg, however, will be looking to thwart Golubchikova's dreams. She cleared a new German record of 4.71 at her national championships and proved she could rise to the big occasion by claiming an impressive victory at the World Athletics Final last year.

Germany can only chose a maximum of three athletes and are bolstered on the entrant lists by Anna Battke (4.60) and Carolin Hingst (4.60) and Kristina Gadschiew (4.50) Watch out too for the Russian second string athlete Aleksandra Kiryashova (4.55), Poland's Joanna Piwowarska (4.51) and the rapidly improving British record holder Kate Dennison (4.46).

Long Jump: Olga Kucherenko (6.84) has jumped well over 10cm further than her nearest rival, fellow-Russian, Tatyana Voykina (6.70), but it is the former's consistency that could give Russia its first European Indoor title ever. In Stockholm, Kucherenko peppered the 6.80-mark with a solid display of nerveless jumping that will be difficult to counter.

Estonia's European Cup heptathlon bronze, Ksenija Balta, will concentrate on the long jump after her national long jump record of 6.70 in Tallin in February while Russian third-string and European Under-23 bronze, Yelena Sokolova (6.69) will be striving to make it an all-Russian podium. Among those in the mix will be Viorica Tigau (6.60), Poland's Joanna Skibinska (6.59) while local fans will be hoping to lift Tania Vicenzino (6.55) to new heights.

Reigning champion Assunta Legnante will be hoping to defend her title in front of her home fans Photo by Picture Alliance

Triple Jump: Russia's Anastasia Taranova-Potapova and Oksana Udmurtova, who was fourth two years ago in Birmingham in her first year at the event, lead the world and European rankings with 14.67m and 14.62m respectively and it would not be beyond the limits of probability that the pair could notch up the first gold-silver double in the event since their compatriots Irina Lasovskaya and Sofiya Bozhanova achieved such a feat in 1994.

Nevertheless, there should be a close and enthralling contest. Slovenia's Marija Šestak, has only reached 14.52m this winter but she is a big time competitor, as shown when she went out to a national outdoor record of 15.03m in the Olympic final last summer. She also won a bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships 12 months ago. Other athletes who could have medal ambitions include Romania's Cristina Bujin, the Slovak Republic's Dana Veldáková while Italy's Magdelin Martinez, a silver medallist in 2005, will certainly not be wanting for any support in Torino.

Shot Put: Italy have high hopes of starting the championships with a bang as Assunta Legnante bids to defend her title in the first final of the championships on Friday evening. Legnante landed her national title with a season's best of 18.85, but faces formidable opposition in the Oval Lingotto.

Leading the European rankings is Romania's Anca Heltne, who launched the shot out to 19.54 in Bucharest, and she will be looking to maintain her unbeaten record this indoor season.

Germany boast a proud record in this event and in Denise Hinrichs and Petra Lammert they have two solid medal challengers.

Hinrichs set a personal best of 19.25 to win the German Championships while Lammert, the 2006 European Championship bronze medallist, has a season's best of 19.00m.

Anna Avdeyeva (18.74) of Russia and Chiara Rosa of Italy (18.48) are also entered and the pair should also present a danger.

Pentathlon: Russia's Anna Bogdanova, World Indoor bronze, is the runaway leader of the European rankings with 4784 and could finally take gold.

Second on the European lists with a national record of 4580 is Estonian Kaie Kand and third is the Netherlands' Yvonne Wisse, European Cup silver from 2005. German champion with a PB, Christine Schultz (4517), lies fourth on the rankings.   Others without a mark this winter who might figure are Russian Olga Kurban and Germany's Sonja Kesselschläger. Italy's Francesca Doveri set a national record of 4423 winning the Italian championships.

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