Brits Move Up and Slide Down the Ladder in the Race for Olympic Athletics Glory

So farewell Daegu and the world athletics championships, and thanks for some memorable moments.

Who will forget Usain Bolt's false start followed by his storming 200 metres and final leg of the sprint relay that saw Jamaica break the only world record of the meet, or Ezekiel Kemoi, the dancing Kenyan who celebrated Bolt-style after winning the steeplechase, or the sensational Aussie Sally Pearson in the 110 metres hurdles?

Britain enjoyed a good championships and, with seven medals (2 gold, four silver and a bronze), surpassed UK Athletics Head Coach Charles van Commenee's target of seven including one gold, but it still leaves us guessing who will emerge on top next year at the London Olympics.

New world champion Dai Greene looks well set in the 400 metres hurdles, as does world champion Mo Farah in the 5,000 metres who may be looking for a long-distance double after claiming a silver in the 10K when gold was in his grasp, but after that the cupboard may be surprisingly bare.

Jess Ennis was odds-on to defend her world title and go on to London to be anointed the Queen of the Games and this she may still do, but Tatyana Chernova's gold suggests that the Sheffield girl has a real fight on her hands.

Phillips Idowu's supposed main rival is Teddy Tamgho, who was injured for Daegu, but now new world champion Christian Taylor has emerged to make it a three-part battle with Idowu by some distance the oldest.

Elsewhere it is hard to see gold on the track or field. Will Hannah England be able to repeat her final 30 metre sprint to claim silver again in the 1500 metres, and will Andy Turner really claim another medal after disqualifications played into his hands? Jenny Meadows failed to make the 800 metres final which, hopefully, will spur her on, likewise Olympic 400 metres champion Christine Ohurougu who fell foul to the false start rule.

There is much work to do if Britain's emerging generation capitalise on the once in a lifetime opportunity handed to them by the staging of the greatest sporting show on earth in our capital.