As the doors closed on the house of indoor athletics for another winter last night, so the Great Britain team left behind the relative comfort of their Birmingham living-room. Less than six months from now, this promising, mainly young, squad will be subjected to the heat of the Japanese kitchen, facing a far truer test of how they are shaping up for the next two Olympics.

The high temperatures and humidity of Osaka in late August and early September, and the vastly more competitive environment of the World Championships — American sprinters and African distance runners especially — is far removed from the limitations of European indoor competition. It is the jump up that Dave Collins, the UK Athletics performance director, is all too aware of.

Admittedly before Nicola Sanders, Phillips Idowu and Kelly Sotherton had produced world-class performances indoors, The Times put it to Collins last week that Britain might return from Osaka without a medal. We can be more hopeful now, a little less dependent on a successful come-back by Paula Radcliffe after the birth of her first child. But what should the target be in Osaka for the best of the British?

Nicola Sanders
Gold, 400 metres

Sanders is up against the hot-test property in women’s world track. Sanya Richards, of the United States, was the IAAF woman athlete of 2006, running two seconds quicker than Sanders outdoors last summer. But, based on her 50.02sec here, the fifth quickest in history indoors, Sanders is ready to break into the outdoor medal zone of sub-50sec.
Osaka goal Medal

Kelly Sotherton
Silver, pentathlon

Sotherton needs to overcome her dreadful javelin throwing, one of two events dropped from the outdoor heptathlon for the indoor pentathlon.

Provided she can do that, she might again give Carolina Klöft, the Olympic and world champion, from Sweden, and the winner in Birmingham, a run for her money.
Osaka goal Medal

Andy Turner
4th, 60 metres hurdles

Turner felt he was a contender to reach the 110 metres hurdles final in Osaka after winning bronze at the Commonwealth Games and outdoor European Championships last year. However, he was poor here and his confidence may need working on as much as his technique.
Osaka goal final

Mo Farah
5th, 3,000 metres

No British athlete faces a more daunting task than Farah in the move from living room to kitchen. The Africans await the Somali-born Briton in Osaka.

Enough said. Farah was unfortunate here, falling in his heat, leaving his tank almost empty for the final.
Osaka goal Top eight

Robert Tobin
Bronze, 400 metres

In an event dominated by the United States, Tobin is a long way outside the medal zone for Osaka and demonstrated inexperience here in failing to produce the semi-final performance to give him a decent lane draw for the final.
Osaka goal Final (individual), medal (4 x 400 metres)

Phillips Idowu/ Nathan Douglas
Gold/silver, triple jump

World-class but erratic. Idowu jumped 17.56 metres in Birmingham and, on this form, Christian Olsson, the Olympic champion, and Walter Davis, the world champion, have reason to be fearful. Nathan Douglas, silver here, is also an Osaka medal contender.
Osaka goal Medal (Idowu and Douglas)

Chris Tomlinson
5th, long jump

The rise of Greg Rutherford has pushed Tomlinson into the background but, with his fellow Briton injured, he flew the home flag here, if only at half-mast. Fifth in the 2004 Olympics, Tomlinson was at least competitive in the final after being world ranked 37th in 2006.
Osaka goal Medal

James Brewer
Semi-finals, 800 metres

Narrowly failed to reach final but looks the best British men’s 800 metres prospect for many a year. Aged 18, Brewer’s blistering finishing speed should serve him well. Osaka and Bei-jing may be too early but worth watching for London 2012.
Osaka goal Watch and learn

Jo Pavey
6th, 3,000 metres

Weakened by a cold going into Birmingham, too much should not be read into Pavey’s result yesterday. Fifth in the Athens Olympic 5,000 metres, she is moving up to 10,000 metres for Osaka but, against the Africans and Chinese, she is likely to be only a medal outsider.
Osaka goal Medal

Jeanette Kwakye
4th, 60 metres

Women’s sprints are weak in Europe with the world rankings dominated by United States and Jamaican athletes. But Kwakye’s performance here suggests that Kathy Cook’s 26-year-old British 100-metres record of 11.10sec may be under threat. Sub 11.10 is the entry ticket to world-class.
Osaka goal Semi-finals

Jason Gardener and Craig Pickering
Gold/silver, 60 metres

Rare is the sprinter who breaks the 10sec mark for 100 metres and passes all his drugs tests. Pickering is moving towards the barrier, but probably not this year. Next year, perhaps. Any sub-10sec man should see the Olympic 100-metres final as achievable. Gardener has broken 10sec once before, in 1999, and will have that in his sights again.
Osaka goal Semi-finals, medal (4 x 100 metres)

Martyn Bernard
Bronze, high jump

Although Bernard managed 2.30 in the qualifying round here, it is a height achieved by 25 athletes worldwide outdoors last year. At least the competitive instinct which Bernard showed in Birmingham augurs well.
Osaka goal Final

Key dates

June 15 Golden League, Oslo
June 23-24 European Cup: Munich (men); Vaasa (women)
July 6 Golden League, Paris
July 13 Golden League, Rome
July 15 British Grand Prix, Sheffield
July 27-29 World Championships trials, Manchester
Aug 3 London Grand Prix, Crystal Palace
Aug 25-Sept 2 World Championships, Osaka