All nations were limited to two athletes per event in Poland.
A number of prominent athletes – Sam Ruthe, Sam Tanner, James Preston, Hamish Kerr, Maddi Wesche, Rosa Twyford and Jacko Gill – were eligible for selection but made themselves unavailable to focus on preparing for other international events.
But two other world indoor champs medallists will join McCartney in Poland, with Tom Walsh defending his men’s shot put crown and last year’s 3000m steeplechase champion, Geordie Beamish, running in the 3000m flat event.
Sprint stars Zoe Hobbs and Tiaan Whelpton will run in the 60m events, after sealing qualification at the Sir Graeme Douglas International meet in Auckland last month. Hobbs finished fourth in the world indoor champs in Glasgow in 2024 and sixth in Nanjing last year, while Whelpton matched his New Zealand resident record over 100m at the Douglas meet.
Tom Walsh won gold at last year’s world indoor champs. Photo / Getty Images
Middle distance athlete Alison Andrews Paul returns for her second world indoors in the women’s 800m, which will also be contested by debutant Boh Ritchie, while James Harding and Thomas Cowan will run in the men’s 800m.
Harding and Cowan have traded the New Zealand indoor record this season, with Harding holding the mark at 1:46.44, set in February in the United States.
National record holder Lex Revell Lewis and national indoor record holder Annalie Kalma run in the 400m events, while Tapenisa Havea will compete at world senior level for the first time in the women’s shot put. She finished fourth in the shot put and seventh in the discus at the 2022 world under-20 champs.
New Zealand team for the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, March 20-22.
Men
Tom Walsh, shot put
Geordie Beamish, 3000m
Tiaan Whelpton, 60m
James Harding, 800m
Thomas Cowan, 800m
Lex Revell-Lewis, 400m
Women
Zoe Hobbs, 60m
Eliza McCartney, pole vault
Imogen Ayris, pole vault
Alison Andrews Paul, 800m
Boh Ritchie, 800m
Annalies Kalma, 400m
Tapenisa Havea, shot put
Reserve (Non-travelling): Olivia McTaggart, pole vault