Akabusi celebrates winning gold in 1991 (Getty Images).

There have been many moments of outstanding quality during the 22-year history of the World Championships.

Here we select five of the most momentous from a British standpoint:

Linford Christie - 100m gold, Stuttgart 1993

Christie arrived in Stuttgart as reigning Olympic champion having clinched gold in Barcelona the previous year. However, the absence of Carl Lewis from the race meant Christie had not had the opportunity to beat the defending champion on his way to claiming the title. In Stuttgart, however, Lewis lined up as the Briton imposed his considerable presence in his customary bid to out-psyche his opponents. The Londoner went on to win, relegating Lewis to fourth, and setting a European record of 9.87secs to become the first man to simultaneously hold Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth titles.

Steve Cram - 1,500m gold, Helsinki 1983

Although Cram had competed in the 1,500m at the Moscow Olympics while still a teenager, when he was comfortably beaten by Steve Ovett and Seb Coe, 1982 saw him take the Commonwealth and European titles. He travelled to the inaugural championships in Helsinki unbeaten for the season over 1,500m/mile. The final was painfully slow before Morocco's Said Aouita made a break with 600m to go - but he was accompanied by Cram, who took the lead 200m out and held on for victory.

Daley Thompson - decathlon gold, Helsinki 1983

The fact Thompson competed in Helsinki was a miracle in itself as he arrived in Finland not having trained for 14 weeks because of back and groin injuries. Challenging the 1980 Olympic champion was arch rival Jurgen Hingsen, who had bettered his world record just a few months earlier. Despite producing some consistently good performances, Thompson was under great pressure from Hingsen and Siggi Wentz but he went into the 1,500m, an event he hated, with a 21-second lead and held on to triumph.

Liz McColgan - 10,000m gold, Tokyo 1991

The Scot is one of only three female British world champions and is one of the greatest distance runners the country has produced. McColgan first came to prominence as Liz Lynch when she won took gold at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh before winning silver at the 1988 Olympics. She then trained until two weeks before her first child's birth and began again 12 days after. Three months later, she conquered both the extreme heat and humidity and a world-class field in Tokyo to take the title by 20 seconds.

Men's 4x400m relay - gold, Tokyo 1991

The British team of Roger Black, Derek Redmond, John Regis and Kriss Akabusi were given little chance against the might of the Americans, who had newly-crowned individual champion Antonio Pettigrew on the final leg. However, at the last minute Black was switched to run the first leg in a bid to be on level terms at the final changeover. Redmond was on a par with Quincy Watts at the end of the second lap and although Regis was behind Danny Everett at the final changeover, Akabusi slotted in behind Pettigrew. He bided his time before making a move with 50m to go when he moved past the American and held on for a famous victory.