Natalia Rodriguez of Spain will go to Doha as one of the favourites for the women's 1500m title.

Spain's Natalia Rodríguez is looking to bounce back from the heartbreak of being disqualified after initially getting the gold medal in last summer's World Championships 1500m with a place on the podium over the same distance at next weekend's World Indoor Championships in Doha.

"I've felt good since the start of 2010. My disqualification in Berlin has only served to motivate me," said Rodríguez, who will go to Doha as the fifth fastest on the entry list and the second quickest European.

In Berlin last August, going into the final bend in the 1500m and with Ethiopia's Gelete Burka leading, Rodríguez tried to squeeze through on the inside but there was no room.

Burka fell to the track and Rodríguez also took a step on the grass on the infield, two infringements that led to her disqualification shortly after she crossed the line.

"In Zaragoza a few weeks ago, I did what is the second fastest mark by a European runner, after Russia's Anna Alminova. As we get ever closer to the World Indoor Championships, I don't know whether it's possible to win but I'm definitely thinking that I can get a medal," added Rodriguez, who improved her indoor personal best to 4:06.35 this winter.

"Of course, Gelete Burka will be there again, she is obviously in good form. There is Anna Alminova and also Bahrain's Maryam Yusuf Jamal, who won in Berlin after my disqualification.

"However, my main target for the year is obviously the European Athletics Championships in July. If I'm prudent and all goes well, I could be going there in the same form I was in last summer, if not better.

"Any Spanish athlete is going to want to do well in a championships at home. However, I've also got a lot of friends and family who live close to Barcelona.

"I hope the Championships are a success, not just for me but because they will have a big impact on athletics in Spain. With the economic crisis, many sports like athletics are being hit and so the Championships will be a great showcase," added the 30-year-old Rodríguez, who comes from just down the Mediterranean coast from Barcelona and was born in Tarragona.

Rodríguez has gone close to a medal at many championships, she finished sixth over 1500m at the 2002 European Athletics Championships, the 2005 World Championships and the 2008 Olympic Games, but so far she only has a silver medal from last year's European Athletics Indoor Championships to her name on the senior stage.