Karsten Warholm of Norway

World Athletics Championships: Five big names going for gold in Doha

By Press Association

Other Sports

Fri September 27, 2019 · 6y ago

The World Championships start in Doha on Friday with the globe's best athletes travelling to Qatar.

Here, we looks at the international athletes to watch at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo

The 400m Olympic champion has not lost a race for two years and is expected to claim her first 400m world title in Doha having won a silver in 2015 and missing out on the podium in 2017.

She has been in imperious form and it would be a shock not to see the 25-year-old win.

In a huge boost to Dina Asher-Smith's 200m hopes that Miller-Uibo will not run in that event because the schedule is too tight.

Sky Bet odds: At 2/5 favourite, Miller-Uibo heads the betting from 5/2 shot Salwa Eid Naser while next in the running is Aminatou Seyni (6/1) ().

When will she compete? 400m. Heats: 16:20 BST, Monday, 30 September. Semi-finals: 18:50 BST, Tuesday, 1 October. Final: 21:50 BST, Thursday, 3 October

Karsten Warholm

The charismatic Norwegian hit headlines for his memorable reaction to winning the 400m hurdles title at the World Championships in London two years ago.

When will he compete? 400m hurdles. Heats: 18:30 BST, Friday, 27 September. Semi-finals: 16:05 BST, Saturday, 28 September. Final: 20:40 BST, Monday, 30 September

Christian Coleman

The favourite for the 100m comes into the championships under a cloud.

He has been cleared to run after the US Anti-Doping Agency withdrew its case after the 23-year-old was charged with missing three drugs tests and faced an automatic one-year ban.

Coleman, who came second behind Justin Gatlin in the 100m two years ago, has always denied the charge.

The American is the fastest man in the world this year with a time of 9.81 and has won his last five races, including at the US trials, while he's broken 10 seconds on all but one of his six outings.

Sky Bet Odds: Christian Coleman is odds-on favourite at 4/7 while his main challengers are Justin Gatlin (4/1), Andre De Grasse (10/1) and Yohan Blake (12/1) ().

When will he compete? 100m. Heats: 16:05 BST, Friday, 27 September. Semi-finals: 16:45 BST, Saturday, 28 September. Final: 20:15 BST, Saturday, 28 September

200m. Heats: 15:05 BST, Sunday, 29 September. Semi-finals: 18:50 BST, Monday, 30 September. Final: 20:40 BST, Tuesday, 1 October

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

The Jamaican remains the biggest threat to Dina Asher-Smith in the 100m - even if the Briton did beat her in the recent Diamond League final.

World championship victories in 2009, 2013 and 2015 underlines her lasting quality and, at 32, she could become the oldest woman to win a sprint world title.

The double Olympic champion, having taken the 2008 and 2012 100m titles, clocked her fastest time this year of 10.73 seconds in June while she also managed an impressive 10.78 when defeating Asher-Smith at the London Anniversary Games.

Fraser-Pryce will also take part in the 200m although that event hasn't brought her quite so much success having managed one world title in 2013 - when completing the sprint double - and silver at the London 2012 Olympics.

Sky Bet Odds: Fraser-Pryce is 13/8 favourite in the 100m ahead of Elaine Thompson (15/8) and Asher-Smith (9/4) () behind but she's third in the betting at 13/2 in the 200m ().

When will she compete? 100m. Heats: 14:30 BST, Saturday, 28 September. Semi-finals: 19:20 BST, Sunday, 29 September. Final: 21:20 BST, Sunday, 29 September

200m. Heats: 15:05 BST, Monday, 30 September. Semi-finals: 19:35 BST, Tuesday, 1 October. Final: 20:35 BST, Wednesday, 2 October

Nafi Thiam

The defending heptathlon champion, who also holds the European and Olympic title, remains the one to beat.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson is pushing her close but Thiam remains ahead of all challengers so far.

The 25-year-old beat Johnson-Thompson by 57 points at the Europeans in Berlin last year and has been just out of reach.

Sky Bet Odds: Thiam is the 4/11 favourite ahead of Great Britain's KJT (9/4) while next in the running is 16/1 shot Ivona Dadic ().

When will she compete? Heptathlon day one: 15:05 BST, Wednesday, 2 October. Day two: 16:15 BST, Thursday, 3 October