World championships

The biggest name among the roughly 2,000 athletes scheduled to compete in the 12th International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships is Jamaica's Usain Bolt. At last year's Olympic Games in Beijing, Bolt was the star of the track and field events and earned the title of world's fastest man.

In Beijing, Bolt brought home three gold medals for the 100-meter dash, 200 meters, and the 4x100 relay. All three races yielded world records, and Bolt literally coasted across the finish line of the 100 meters in one of the Games' most memorable moments.

American Tyson Gay was absent from the finals of the 100 in Beijing due to an injury but is set to run against Bolt on the second day of the world championships. Gay is the defending world champion in the 100 and 200 from 2007 in Osaka, Japan. His showdown with Bolt in the 100 on Sunday night will be one of the highlights of the meet in Berlin, and it comes exactly one year after Bolt's Olympic victory in the 100. The two are to face each other again in the 200 on Thursday evening.

Field events best shot for Germany

Although Bolt will be one of the most recognizable figures at the meet, the home team at the world championships is well represented. The German athletics team is coming off a disappointing performance at the Olympics, only bringing home a single medal. They'll be hoping to return to the form they displayed at the 2007 World Championships, where they captured seven medals, including two golds.

Germany's best chances for medals in Berlin will be in the field events, and high jumper Ariane Friedrich is a heavy favorite. She has already had good luck in Berlin this year, as well. At a Golden League meet in the German capital in June, Friedrich beat defending world champion Blanka Vlasic of Croatia with a jump of 2.06 meters, breaking an 18-year-old German record.

Friedrich, recognizable by her trademark pink knee-high stockings during the competition, says she is "hoping for a medal."

Lone Olympic medalist returns

The bright spot on Germany's Olympic team in Beijing was javelin thrower Christina Obergfoell, who took home the bronze. She enters the competition in Berlin ranked number one in the world in her event. Fellow javelin thrower Steffi Nerius will be in the medal hunt as well and is ranked fourth.

Long jumper Sebastian Bayer has been a surprise success this season for the German team. He had a breakthrough jump at the European indoor championships in March, winning with a mark of 8.71 meters. He backed it up with an outdoor personal best 8.49 meters at the German Championships, placing him fourth in the list of the best jumps in the world this year. If he can put together another solid meet in Berlin, he could have a shot at the podium.

Other German medal hopefuls include Betty Heidler and Kathrin Klaas in the hammer throw, and Nadine Kleinart and Denise Hinrichs in the shot put.

Late withdrawal

While the Germans should stack up well against the competition in the field events, things don't look as good when it comes to the track. Irina Mikitenko had been seen as one of the favorites for the women’s marathon, but she has withdrawn from the competition due to the recent death of her father.

Sabrina Mockenhaupt is still scheduled to toe the marathon starting line for Germany, and is to focus exclusively on that race. She had previously qualified for the 10,000-meters race, but has opted not to run it.

The 2009 IAAF World Championships in Athletics take place from August 15-23 at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.

mz/dpa/AP
Editor: Chuck Penfold