Five athletes to keep an eye on Tuesday when athletics at the Commonwealth Games
In Birmingham get underway at the renovated 30,000-seat Alexander Stadium, from Australia's javelin champion to Africa's fastest man.
However, there are concerns about a number of players participating given the proximity of the world championships and a Diamond League match in Poland the following Saturday.
AFP Sport selects five players who seem to be sure bets to start:
MEN 100m: Ferdinand Omanyala (KEN)
The African 100-meter champion, who was denied a visa to visit the United States until the very last minute, was able to make up for the loss of his world title challenge in the Games.
Although the 26-year-old lost in the semifinals, he insisted that he had no regrets and that he was eager to compete in Birmingham.
He tweeted, "Life's challenges are meant to make you better, not bitter.
"Only when given the chance to solve challenging challenges do persistence and resilience develop. No matter what is thrown at us, we continue to move."
1500m Jake Wightman (SCO)
One of the surprises of the world championships was when he won the gold in a race when his father and coach Geoff were commentating in the stadium.
The 28-year-old won the 1500-meter race to become Britain's first global champion since Steve Cram in 1983, and he plans to use that victory as a springboard to win the Commonwealth gold and the European 800-meter title in Munich later this month.
"It's absurd. the period of time between leaving the worlds and entering the Commonwealths, "said he.
It'll be difficult to sort of pick myself back up, so I need to give myself a few days to unwind before preparing for the challenging rounds and returning to the championship setting.
400m Emmanuel Korir (KEN)
The 27-year-old, who added a global gold medal to his Olympic victory, is without a question the 800m king.
Why he wouldn't try to win a triple 800m title in Birmingham may raise some eyebrows.
But he has a lot of faith in his 400-meter speed. After the global final, he claimed that despite a poor first lap, he was still the best 400-meter runner in the field and that this was why he knew he would win.
He is also rather young, having only begun his season at the end of June, which is another factor in his favour.
WOMEN 800 m: Keely Hodgkinson (ENG)
The 20-year-old athlete ought to be the overwhelming favourite to win the Commonwealth Games. After finishing second to Athing Mu in the 2016 Olympics, she narrowly lost to the American in the world final (0.08 seconds).
She bristled at that loss.
She admitted, "I'm obviously a little irritated." "Despite my admiration for her, it's clear that I'm devastated. I came here hoping to take home the gold, but that didn't happen."
Hodgkinson, who has postponed pursuing a degree in criminology, was given a ride in an Aston Martin by a sponsor after winning silver in Tokyo.
She believed that while her performance in Eugene did not earn a repeat, winning gold in Birmingham should be sufficient for a subsequent appearance.
Javelin: Kelsey-Lee Barber (Australia)
After retaining her global title, the 30-year-old appeared well-positioned to win gold in the Commonwealth Games after winning bronze and silver in the previous two competitions.
However, immediately after her victory at the world championship, the Olympic bronze medalist contracted Covid-19, but the team assured she would still make it to Birmingham.
Barber can find solace in the fact that her countrywoman Jessica Stenson, who had Covid little than a month before the Games, finally won the marathon title on Saturday.
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