The stage is set for the world's finest. The World Championships are back after a year's delay, attracting a galaxy of superstars to push the limits of human endeavour and endurance.
While the likes of Karsten Warholm (400m hurdles), Yulimar Rojas (triple jump), and Allyson Felix (4X400m mixed relay) will look to add more yellow metal to their teeming cabinets, the Eugene event will also witness a host of world beaters looking for their maiden world title.
Consider Elaine Thompson-Herah. The Jamaican sprint queen is a six-time Olympic medallist but is yet to win an individual gold at the Worlds. Or take the case of Armand Duplantis, the serial record-breaking, pole vaulting Swede who also hasn't won a gold at the event. Add Erriyon Knighton, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen to the mix, and we already have a world-class assortment of athletes who don't happen to be world champions. All that may change in a span of ten days though.
As is the norm, the 100m and 200m sprints will continue to be the toast of the event, with the likes of Fred Kerley, Noah Lyles and Knighton looking to tame the clock at the iconic and rebuilt Hayward Field. Knighton, in particular, is billed as the next big thing in track events after he became the youngest US track and field Olympian since 1964 when he competed at last year's Tokyo Games.
The 18-year-old who took up sprinting to get better at football already has the fourth fastest 200m time in history; his 19.49s placing him behind Usain Bolt (19.19), Yohan Blake (19.26) and Michael Johnson (19.32). His rivalry with compatriot Noah Lyles will be another interesting sub-plot, with the latter having beaten Knighton at the US Championships and Olympic trials.
The men's 100m field is stacked with US speed merchants, with a possibility of an all-American podium increasingly imminent.
Among the men who may spoil the American party could be the seasoned Yohan Blake. The 32-year-old 2011 world champion is showing no signs of slowing down -- he ran a mighty impressive 9.85 to win his fifth national 100m title last month, the season's joint third fastest time.
In what could be a repeat of the Tokyo Olympics, the trio of Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Shericka Jackson looks set to make it a Jamaican 1-2-3 in women's 100m. Unsurprisingly, they boast of three best timings this season, with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce leading the pack (10.67s). Jackson is next with 10.77s, followed by Thompson-Herah at 10.79s.
The 400m hurdles promise to be another top-notch competition in both sexes as the event saw Norway’s Karsten Warholm and American Sydney McLaughlin set world records en route their Olympic golds in Tokyo last year. McLaughlin bettered her record this season and will once again be challenged by compatriot Dalilah Muhammad and Femke Bol of the Netherlands, the silver and bronze medal winners in Tokyo.
Warholm, who ran a stunning 45.94s in the Japanese capital, sustained a hamstring tear last month. He spent five weeks rehabilitating, calling the experience a “living hell".
Duplantis, Crouser lead the field
Take your eye off Ryan Crouser or Armand Duplantis at your own peril. While both are current Olympic champions and world indoor and outdoor record holders, a world title has eluded them both. Duplantis, fresh from breaking his own indoor (6.20m) and outdoor (6.16m) world records, enters the field as a runaway favourite.
Shot put ace Crouser came close to his maiden world title in 2019, but the American was beaten by long-time rival and compatriot Joe Kovacs by one centimetre as all three medallists recorded their personal bests. The likes of Kovacs, Darlan Romani of Brazil, and Kiwi star Tom Walsh will be Crouser's key challengers, but the 29-year-old will be extremely tough to beat.
Visa delays
Meanwhile, the organisers are desperately trying to clear a visa logjam that is threatening to prevent around 100 athletes, coaches and officials from entering the country.
Dozens of athletes from around the world have been flagging their problems, with Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala among the most high-profile. Omanyala finally got his visa approved but now faces a race to arrive in Eugene in time for Friday's 100 metres heats.
World Athletics said on Thursday that 255 of 374 outstanding visa cases had been resolved after being escalated to a joint group comprising USOPC, Oregon22 and World Athletics. Another 20 have been refused and around 100 are still to be resolved.
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