(1,500m)

Hicham El Guerrouj's performances over the past few years have seen him write his name in the record books as one of the all-time middle-distance greats.

The world 1,500m and mile record holder goes for his third World title in Edmonton when he hopes to go out with a bang.

The Moroccan, inspired as a youngster by compatriot Said Aouita, has pledged his future to the 5,000m which he says he will begin running regularly next season.

Whatever the outcome in Canada - where El Guerrouj will start as a hot favourite to complete a hat-trick - he will always have the memory of failing at Olympic level in an event he has mastered.

A much-anticipated clash with former world record holder Noureddine Morceli at the Atlanta games was ruined when El Guerrouj fell to the track on the last lap.

Last year there were no such problems for El Guerrouj in Sydney, but he was still beaten in one of the shocks of the games.

Kenyan Noah Ngeny got the better of the Moroccan down the final straight after a poor tactical race by El Guerrouj.

His defeat against Ngeny was only his second in four years at 1,500, a statistic which shows how feared he had become at the distance.

If he can get his tactics right in a race without the usual pacemaker of the Grand Prix curcuit, there will be no stopping El Guerrouj.