Usain Bolt, global sport’s most marketable star, will make his bow at the 2011 World Championships in heats for the men’s 100m on the opening day of action today.
The Jamaican defending Olympic and world champion kicks off his campaign to snag another sprint double when he takes to Daegu’s blue track in round one of the blue riband event.
Missing from the heats, however, will be his three main rivals, compatriots Asafa Powell (groin injury) and Steve Mullings (doping), and American Tyson Gay (hip injury).
Also in action on the opening day in South Korea is three-time defending world 200m champion Allyson Felix, who goes in heats of the 400m in her bid for a memor-able double.
Felix has reigning world champion and fellow American Sanya Richards-Ross in her sights, al-though the latter put months of strife aside in storming to victory at the London Diamond League this month in an impressive 49.66.
The semi-finals of the women’s 400m are run tomorrow, with the final scheduled for a day later.
Kenyan world record holder David Rudisha will open his campaign in the heats of the men’s 800m, looking for an easy ride through to tomorrow’s semi-final before the final on Tuesday.
There are just two medal events on the first day of competition at the nine-day worlds, in the women’s 10,000m and marathon.
The latter event will be raced around a multi-lap, largely flat street circuit.
In the absence of defending champion Xue Bai, of China, compatriots Zhou Chunxiu and Zhu Xiaolin, Asian Games champion and silver medallist respectively, will lead the way.
Yoshimo Ozaki and Aselefech Mergia, defending world silver and bronze medallists, head up the Japan and Ethiopia teams, while Kenya will be led by Edna Kiplagat, whose 2:20:46 makes her the fastest entrant in the field.
In the 10,000m, Ethiopian Mese-ret Defar will compete in her bid for a 5,000-10,000m double, and will have Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot, world champion at 5,000m, in direct competition in the two events.
Another Kenyan, Linet Masai, the defending 10,000m champion, is also in the running.
Maltese Sprinters
Malta’s Diane Borg and Karl Farrugia will be in action today in the 100m heats.
Borg’s personal best time is 11.89 seconds which is a national record.
Farrugia ran his lifetime best of 10.94 seconds during the Liech-tenstein GSSE in June.