1987 was a poor year as far as British athletics was concerned but the second World Championship still provided some glittering performances.

Fatima Whitbread went one better than she in 1983, capturing the javelin with a mammoth throw.

It was the last time we saw Whitbread at her best, for injury stifled her potential for the rest of her days as a world class performer.

The 100m was one of the most anticipated events with Carl Lewis taking on the now-disgraced Ben Johnson. The Canadian won in a then world record of 9.83, but years later Lewis would receive the title and Johnson lost his record.

Lewis' fellow countryman Calvin Smith won his second 200m title.

Germany Thomas Schonlebe broke the European record in the 400m, a record that still stands, while Roger Black, who burst onto the scene a year earlier, was ruled out with injury.

Kenya's Billy Konchellah changed the face of middle-distance running with the first of his two 800m victories and Abdi Bile of Somalia showed devastating finishing speed to claim the 1500m.

The legendary Said Aouita concentrated on the 5000 metres after injury prevented him from tackling Bile in the shorter event.

In the 400m hurdles Ed Moses completed the double after winning the event at the inaugural championships and Sergei Bubka continued to propel himself to the clouds in the pole vault.

East Germany's Silke Gladisch completed the double in the women's sprints and Russia's Tatyana Samolenko followed in Mary Decker-Slaney's footsteps, landing both 1500 and 3000m events.

Norway's Ingrid Kristiansen destroyed a strong 10,000 metres field in a world-record time.

Peter Elliott trailed home behind Bile in the 1500 metres to claim a respectable silver while a young Jon Ridgeon finished a brillant second behind Greg Foster and ahead of Colin Jackson in the high hurdles.

Linford Christie arrived on the world stage with a bronze in the 100m while a then teenager John Regis also stepped on the rostrum after the 200 metres.