New Delhi:
The 2017 World Athletics Championships is set to start off with a bang at London on Friday with a star studded field competing in their pet events on the opening Day of the competition.
Jamaican ace sprinter Usain Bolt who has garnered much of the media attention centered around his retirement from athletics post the event shall be seen competing in the 100 meters heats in the evening session. Bolt looking in good shape after his win at Monaco Diamond League event should ease through the heats and secure a place in the semifinals. Apart from Bolt, his American rival Justin Gatlin, Christian Coleman and fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake shall be the other top contenders featuring in the heats.
With Bolt not defending his 200m title, 400m world record holder Wade van Niekerk would aim to win the gold in both the 200 m and 400 m and establish himself as the next big star in sprints.
Meanwhile all eyes would be set on Great Britian’s 5000 and 10000 m Olympic champion who is the favourite to clinch the long distance double crown in front of his home crowd. Mo Farah's 5,000m and 10,000m double was one of the defining memories of the London Olympics five years ago. Since then the 34-year-old has repeated the feat at World Championships in Moscow and Beijing as well as last summer's Rio Olympics, and is favourite to do so once again before shifting his focus to marathon.
However he is facing a crop of young pretenders with Ethiopian teenager Abadi Hadis the fastest this year over 10,000m and 23-year-old compatriot Muktar Edris leading the 5,000m time charts.
