Sanya Richards © Gallo Images

After winning a world silver in 2005 the 24-year-old Richards had to settle for Olympic bronze in Beijing last year - and it is clear that this rankles with the attractive and charismatic Jamaican-born athlete.

The pain is even sharper because while she has yet to top the podium Great Britain's Christine Ohuruogu has carried all before her.

The amiable 25-year-old of Nigerian descent has shown time and again that she clearly has the championship mentality when appearing in a final of the one-lap event.

It began with the Commonwealth Games in 2006, the world final in 2007 - Richards had only qualified for the 200m because a rare but debilitating virus cost her dearly in the trials for the 400m - and the Olympics.

Now Richards is determined to rectify this glaring omission from her curriculum vitae and also put one over Ohuruogu, who clearly she has little regard for given their body language. They do not even shake hands after a race or look at each other.

"I want to get the one gold medal which has eluded me (individual 400m world gold), I am trying not to make it pressurised, I am trying to make it fun," said Richards, who left Jamaica aged 12.

"Christine has a great track record of being ready at the major meets no matter what is going on for the rest of the season. She is still the Number One competition.

"But Christine is top of my list of rivals."

While there are other finals scheduled for Tuesday a lot of focus will be on the men's 200m where the extraordinary Jamaican Usain Bolt will begin his quest for the second title of the championships.

However, his task will be eased by a long way should reigning champion Tyson Gay decide that his suspect groin cannot take the pressure and he pulls out, though veteran Shawn Crawford - Olympic champion in 2004 - is hoping to create the upset of upsets.

A much anticipated duel, which could also be termed a revenge match, will also get underway in the men's 400m between defending champion Jeremy Wariner - sporting his trademark dark glasses and now reunited with legendary coach Clyde Hart after a brief hiatus - and the man who replaced him as Olympic champion, LaShawn Merritt.

"We're like co-workers fighting for the same raise," joked Merritt, who claimed silver behind Wariner in the 2007 Osaka worlds but whose margin of victory over his rival in the Beijing Olympics final was the largest ever.

"When you step on the track you want the same thing. We're cool, but you can't get too close," he said with a wry smile when questioned over his friendship - or lack thereof - with Wariner.

Czech javelin queen Barbora Spotakova, another Olympic champion, will hope she is in better shape for the world final.

"I am totally upset about my feelings today," said the 28-year-old, who is also the defending champion, after qualifying on Sunday.

"I hope I do not have the same feelings in the final.

"I was very surprised that the javelin flew so far because I felt like a dead girl."

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