Paris, Aug 16: This season there has been a lot of talk from the younger breed of how they are ready to take over centre stage from their elders - the world championships will force them to prove it was not so much hot air. Athletics greats such as Haile Gebrselassie, Allen Johnson, Jonathan Edwards and Gail Devers face vibrant challengers that do not threaten to be just one-championship wonders but to take over their champion mantle permanently. Moroccan master Hicham El Guerrouj may have been humbled by Noah Ngeny in the Sydney 1500 m Olympic final but has since proved that was a one-off and with his young pretender Kenyan William Chirchir out through injury he looks set fair for another world crown. That is however if his flirtation with the 5000 m, which he will also try to win in Paris has not blunted his finishing speed as Gebrselassie fears has happened to him after trying out the marathon.
"That is logical that going up in distance will have an effect on your finishing burst it is harder going back in distance than it is in going the other direction," the 30-year-old two-time 10,000 m Olympic champion said.

As he tries to regain the world crown after finishing third in Edmonton two years ago, his stable mate and compatriot Kenisa Bekele has taken the event by storm this season.
Bureau Report