SIX OF THE BEST IN DOHA
DINA ASHER-SMITH
Faces twin Jamaican threat of Elaine Thompson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce but this could well be her time. No British woman has won a world sprint medal for 36 years but Britain has not had a sprint talent of this magnitude before. The triple European champion is Diamond League 100metres queen and, in the absence of Shaunae Miller-Uibo, favourite for the 200m.
WOMEN’S 100M, 200M, 4x100M RELAY COUNTRY: BRITAIN AGE: 22
NOAH LYLES
Athletics has cried out for a showman, with substance as well as style, since Usain Bolt abdicated at the last Worlds in London. This guy is its best bet. A rapper, a fashion model but above all a sprinter par excellence, Lyles this year became the first man ever to become Diamond League champion at 100m and 200m. He is running only the longer distance here.
MEN’S 200M COUNTRY: USA AGE: 22
SHAUNAE MILLER-UIBO
One of the crying shames of these Championships is that Miller-Uibo is unable to contest both the 200m and 400m, given that she has not been beaten over either distance for two years. The IAAF should have accommodated her star quality, instead they scheduled the heats of both within an hour and a half of each other on Monday.
WOMEN’S 400M COUNTRY: BAHAMAS AGE: 25
KARSTEN WARHOLM
Think Scandinavian athletics and it is hard not to picture the middle distance-running Ingebrigtsen brothers. Not least because the three of them, Jakob, Henrik and Filip are all rather good, oh and they have their own hit TV reality show. But another Norwegian is more likely to steal the show in Doha. Warholm is world No1 and reigning champion.
MEN’S 400M HURDLES COUNTRY: NORWAY AGE: 23
NAFI THIAM
Katarina Johnson-Thompson only has one serious rival left in multi-eventing and, sadly for her, she is top drawer. Thiam is world and Olympic champion, the successor in both to Jess Ennis-Hill. Her heptathlon best puts her third on the all-time list and she is still only 25. But Johnson-Thompson pushed her every inch of the way at the Europeans last year and will do so again.
WOMEN’S HEPTATHLON COUNTRY: BELGIUM AGE: 25
LAURA MUIR
The European champion at 1500m, indoors and out, Muir has also rubbed the name of Dame Kelly Holmes off the British record for the same distance. Her golden chances in Doha looked shiny in mid-summer when she was flying and arch-rival Sifan Hassan said she was opting for the 5,000m. A calf injury set her back but her indomitable spirit will take her close.
WOMEN’S 1500M COUNTRY: BRITAIN AGE: 26