Hicham El Guerrouj

Noah Ngeny

The nearest man to him - both on the track and on paper, is 21-year-old Kenyan Noah Ngeny, second fastest in the world this year, World Championship silver medallist, with a world ranking of, yes you've guessed it, two. It must therefore make him favourite for the silver medal in Sydney, although he'll be pushed hard by countrymen William Chirchir and Bernard Lagat.

Barcelona gold medal winner Fermin Cacho pulled out injured just before the games, which scupprered his chances of going for a third consectutive medal, having finished second to Algeria's Nourredine Morceli in Atlanta.

John Mayock

The Spanish squad have some able deputies though, with Andres Diaz and Jose Antonio Redolat spearheading the European charge, alongside Frenchmen Driss Maazouzi and the promising Medhi Baala.

Ireland's Mark Carroll and Britain's John Mayock are both ranked in the lower reaches of the IAAF top 20, and should be good for a semi-final berth.

Svetlana Masterkova

The historybook says one thing - but the form book suggests another, which means the Women's 1500m is likely to be a very closely-run affair.

Russia's double Olympic and reigning World Championship gold medallist, Svetlana Masterkova, has all the pedigree in the world, but injury and illness have compromised her 2000 season, and no-one really knows what sort of form she'll be in when they line up in Sydney.

Violetta Szekely-Beclea

With Seville silver-medalist Regina Jacobs pulling out with a virus, Masterkova's strongest rival is likely to be likely the runner she pipped in Atlanta - Gabriela Szabo. Twenty-one years old at the time, the Romanian blossomed into the greatest middle-to-long distance runner of the late '90's, and has realistic designs on a 1500/5000m double in Sydney.

Szabo hasn't really focussed on the 1500m this summer, with this year's times being topped by compatriot Violetta Szekely-Beclea - heading the world rankings this year - and the young Ethiopian who just pipped her for the bronze in Spain twelve months ago, Kutre Dulecha.

The rankings also suggest that Portugal's Carla Sacramento, Algeria's Nouria Merah and Poland's Lidia Chojecka have a decent chance of a medal, whilst America's Suzy Hamilton, who streaked to the fastest time in the world this year at the Bislett Games, has already upset the applecart this season.

Hayley Tullett

However, most of the headlines from the American team are likely to be made by Marla Runyan, who stole the show at the US Olympic Trials by becoming the first blind athelete to qualify for a place on the Olympic team.

Ireland's Sonia O'Sullivan - ninth in that fast race in Oslo - is more competitive over longer distances these days, whilst 27-year Hayley Tullett has scythed four and a half seconds from her personal best this season, and is worthy of a place in the final.