The 2007 World champion Christine Ohuruogu laid down a clear marker of her gold-medal intentions by blitzing to the fastest ever women s 400m first-round time in World Championships history.

Russia s Yuliya Zaripova, the London 2012 Olympic Games and reigning World champion in the women's 3000m Steeplechase, has sadly had to withdraw from the 2013 IAAF World Championships through injury.

The figures are instantly recognisable to athletics aficionados: 9.58, 19.19, 8.95m and 18.29m. They are, of course, a quartet of iconic world record marks set at the IAAF World Championships.

The first day of competition at Luzhniki Stadium for the IAAF World Championships will be for distance and combined events fans, with medals being awarded in the women s Marathon and the men s 10,000m and the first day of the Decathlon.

The IAAF website brings you extensive coverage of the IAAF World Championships, including live results, a live blog, photographs, reports, features and social media content from Moscow between 10-18 August.

Last summer s London 2012 Olympic Games witnessed one of the all-time surprises in this event as the Bahamas (population 347,000) defeated the behemoth of this event, the USA (population 313 million), to win the gold medal.