Some of the best athletes in the world will descend on Valencia next month for the 12th International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Indoor Championships.

The competition begins on March 7th and will last for three days, with international athletes competing in events such as the 60 metres, 1,500 metres, high jump, pole vault and shot put.

With the Olympic games taking place in Beijing later this year, athletes have an extra incentive to perform well at the Palau Velodromo Luis Puig and the event is sure to be a thrilling spectacle.

IAAF president Lamine Diack said that he expects the championships to be “an athletics fiesta for our sport to savour”, helped by the fact that Valencia is “very much a sports city”.

Valencia certainly has plenty to offer sports fans - it provided the home port for last year’s America’s Cup sailing competition and is set to do so again in 2009, while the first Formula One Grand Prix on the city streets will take place later this year. The Valencia football team is also one of the top sides in Spain and has been successful in Europe.

Tags: Leisure, sports, Valencia