Some of the leading athletes to look out for at the August 4-13 world athletics championships in London.
USAIN BOLT: One of the greatest athletes in sports history bids farewell shortly before his 31st birthday. The Jamaican has lost only five of 86 finals over 100m and 200m since he burst onto the scene in 2008 - winning eight Olympic golds and 11 world titles in the process, and holding world records untouched at 9.58 and 19.19 seconds. Bolt has not been as sharp as in the past but is confident he will deliver again London. He will only be running the 100m and relay but there will be the usual antics as well to keep the fans happy.
WAYDE VAN NIEKERK: The South African almost stole the show from Bolt at last year's Rio Olympics when he bettered Michael Johnson's 400m world record to 43.03 seconds shortly before the 100m final. Now he aims for back-to-back 400m world titles and is also running the 200m which could make him the first since Johnson get a race 200m/400m double. Bolt is among those who consider Van Niekerk the new face of the sport once he - and Briton Mo Farah - are gone.
MO FARAH: Somalia-born British hero Farah is bidding for a fifth straight 5,000m and 10,000m double at a global championship in what will mark the end of his track running career. Arguably among the very best distance runners, the home fans will roar him on two more occasions before he turns his attention to the marathon for good.
CHRISTIAN TAYLOR: The triple jump is normally not at the centre of everyone's attention but Taylor has ruled the difficult discipline like hardly anyone else before him. The double Olympic champion from the United States not only seeks a third gold at the worlds, he is also finally out to better the world record 18.29m Briton Jonathan Edwards hopped, skipped and jumped in 1995. Taylor came within eight centimetres at the last worlds in 2015, and has already soared 18.11m this year.
JOHANNES VETTER/THOMAS ROEHLER: Judging by medals from past Olympics and worlds, the Germans love to throw objects around. Even though shirt-ripping discus star Robert Harting is in London as well, their latest pet event is the men's javelin where Vetter (94.44m) and Olympic champion Roehler (93.90m) are far ahead of the rest of the world and second and third on the all-time list - with only Czech legend Jan Zelezny throwing further. A German sweep is possible as Andreas Hofmann is third on the 2017 list.
ELAINE THOMPSON: The latest Jamaican sprint star took over from Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce by winning a 100m/200m sprint double at last year's Olympics, and now aims for her first world titles against tough opposition including Dutch 200m holder Dafne Schippers and the fast Americans. Thompson leads this year's 100m list with 10.71 seconds and is third in the 200m list.
ALLYSON FELIX: The eternal Felix comes to London seeking a 10th world title which would go with six Olympic golds. Felix turns 32 in November but age is not slowing her down as she leads the 400m list with 49.65 seconds as she seeks back-to-back golds over the distance. Felix is also a candidate for both relays.
KENDRA HARRISON: A world record 12.20 seconds in the 100m hurdles was a consolation prize of sorts for Harrison last year after she failed to qualify for the American Olympic team. A first major title now beckons for the 24-year-old who with 12.28 is almost two-tenths ahead of the rest - including returning Australian ace Sally Pearson.
NAFISSATOU THIAM: The Belgian multi-athlete Thiam beat British star Jessica Ennis-Hill for gold at the Rio Olympics. Ennis has now retired which makes Thiam the overwhelming favourite for the London gold. That is even more as she in late May became only the fifth heptathlete to go beyond 7,000 points - a 7,013 score in Goetzis which puts the 22-year-old almost 200 points ahead of the rest of the pack.
MARIYA LASITSKENE: The Russian athletics federations remains banned but several Russian athletes can compete as neutral athletes, including men's 110m hurdles title holder Sergey Shubenkov, and Lasitskene, who also won gold - in the women's high jump - two years ago. The 24-year-old Lasitskene is unbeaten in 2017 and tops the list 2.06m - with no other athlete beyond 2m so far in the season.
