Dina Asher-Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thompson facing a tall order to defend their world crowns

It has been 19 years for the reason that British workforce failed to strike gold on the World Athletics Championships, however a repeat of that clean from Paris in 2003 appears to be like a actual chance because the competitors will get underway in Oregon over the following 10 days.

This is the primary time the championships shall be staged within the US and Hayward Field has undergone a suitably lavish facelift.

Nike co-founder Phil Knight has poured eye-watering sums into the University of Oregon over time, and the crown jewel on campus is its athletics stadium, renovated at an estimated value of £228m.

Dina Asher-Smith (left) and Katarina Johnson-Thompson (proper) are facing tall order in defending their world crowns on the World Athletics Championships in Oregon

There’s a actual concern whether or not any Brits shall be on high of the rostrum over the following 10 days

The concern for the Brits is whether or not any of their athletes will stand atop the rostrum. They arrive with two defending champions – Dina Asher-Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thompson – however it should come as a enormous shock if both strikes gold.

Asher-Smith – who gained 200m gold in Doha in 2019 – was fourth over 100m on this similar observe in May, and she is going to get a busy week underway within the ladies’s 100m heats at 1.10am on Saturday night time.

Jamaica appears to be like to maintain all of the aces there with Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah and world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce seemingly a class aside, and team-mate Shericka Jackson might make it a clear sweep.

Asher-Smith will want one thing a lot sooner than her season’s better of 10.98 to make an influence. She can be competing within the 200m and the 4x100m relay.

Jamaica maintain all of the aces, together with Shericka Jackson, and they might make it a clear sweep

Johnson-Thompson, in the meantime, arrives on shaky footing, having parted methods along with her coach Petros Kyprianou final month after falling nicely wanting her 6,400-point goal in Austria, recording simply 6,174.

Crucially, although, she’s wholesome once more and has put collectively a constant block of coaching. The heptathlon begins on Sunday.

The middle-distance occasions might throw up Britain’s finest medal probabilities, with Olympic silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson taking up American duo Athing Mu and Ajee Wilson over 800m.

Laura Muir will get underway within the 1,500m at 2.10am on Friday, although gold appears to be like destined for Faith Kipyegon of Kenya.