Radcliffe targets 10,000m victory

Radcliffe on the 10,000m

Paula Radcliffe goes for 10,000m gold as the 10th World Championships get under way in Helsinki on Saturday.

Radcliffe won World 10,000m silver in 1999 but finished only fourth in 2001 and missed out with injury in 2003.

Her focus in Helsinki is mainly on next week's marathon, but her preparations have gone extremely well and leave her with an excellent medal chance.

Radcliffe said: "I'm ready to race. I'm not going into it just thinking I'm going to use it as a run-around."

Kelly Sotherton begins her heptathlon challenge determined to go one better than her bronze medal at last year's Olympics.

Sotherton was criticised for not giving enough when she finished the final event, the 800m, just one second short of winning silver.

SATURDAY'S FINALS Men's' 20k walk (1640 BST) Men's' shot put (1855 BST) Women's 10,000m (1915 BST)

"I'm a lot more experienced, a lot more professional now," she said.

"It's my first Worlds so there's a lot of pressure for me to produce a medal, and that's contributing to my nerves.

"But I know how to cope with the pressure now. I'm going to treat it like any other competition.

"The first day is more exciting, the second day more tense, but I believe I can do good things."

The men's 100m begins with Britain's Marlon Devonish, Jason Gardener and Mark Lewis-Francis hoping to improve on their uncertain form this season.

In the absence of world record holder Asafa Powell, Olympic champion Justin Gatlin is favourite to take the title.

Carl Myerscough goes in the shot put hoping to erase the memories of Paris two years ago, when he crashed out in qualifying despite going into the competition as a contender for gold.

As the shot qualifying took place on the morning before the opening ceremony, Myerscough had the unfortunate distinction of going out of the Worlds before they had even officially begun.