El Guerrouj can handle the pressure

Few events are more finely balanced between strategy and pressure than the 1,500 metres. Hicham El Guerrouj has always handled the strategy, blessed with the sort of speed where winning has always seemed the easy option.

Handling the pressure has proved a little more difficult, and when it comes to championship running, no one can tell a better story about cracking than El Guerrouj. Now less than a year after his shock loss in the Sydney Olympic final, the air of his expectancy hangs over Edmonton.

More than any other summer, the affable Moroccan has raced more sparingly approaching his quest for a third successive gold. A world indoor title back in March helped renew the spirit, and as soon as he stepped onto the track for Thursday night's opening heats, only one question had resurfaced; how did this guy ever lose? Running in the first of three heats, El Guerrouj was a picture of efficiency. One press on the accelerator and he was gone, striding home in 3:36.97. Among those left struggling in his wake was James Nolan, clearly suffering from an excessive effort over the early laps.

Just like Mark Carroll in the 5,000 metres, Nolan applied naive tactics that simply backfired. He led around the first lap, then the second, but with 600 metres remaining the Moroccan swept past. Nolan was still in contention at the bell for one of the six automatic qualifying spots but he died a slow death on the last lap, crawling home in 10th in 3:42.84.

"I thought I was in control but I hit a wall like I've never hit one before," he said. "I don't know why I did it, because the last thing my coach said was not to take the lead no matter how slow it was. This is becoming a bit of a habit."

In contrast, it's almost impossible to see how anyone in tomorrow's final could produce a strategy to upset El Guerrouj. If it's excessively slow, a tactic most likely to be employed by the strong Spanish and Portuguese challenge, he can still apply a winning surge from a short way out. If it's fast, and the Kenyans like to make it fast, he can simply apply his world record pace.

Once again then, the biggest test will be pressure. When Kenya's Noah Ngeny stole in front coming down the home straight in Sydney, El Guerrouj suffered his first loss over 1,500 metres in four years.

That was only part of the expectancy, because ever since he tripped and fell in the Atlanta he was promising the whole of Morocco that he would win. Sydney, though, saw no post-race dancing by the Kenyans, just a hand of consolation and sympathy.

These championships have already created a fine line between those who can handle the pressure and those who can't. For every Maurice Greene last week there was a Marion Jones, and for every Andre Bucher, there was a Haile Gebrselassie.

More recently, in the 110 metres hurdles, there was the story of Allen Johnson. As world champion back in 1995 and 1997, and Olympic champion in between, the 30-year-old American had been suffering from written-off syndrome, and few people expected him to come through the pressure of another world championship final.

Although he smashed seven of the 10 hurdles, Johnson still had the speed to out-lean Anier Garcia of Cuba, the current Olympic champion, with a world-leading 13.04 seconds. Even with the Athens Olympics still three years away, the pressure is now mounting fast on Konstadinos Kederis. Just like Sydney last year, the Greek sprinter produced one of the performances of his life to win the gold in the 200 metres and leave six men fighting for the minor medals behind him in a blanket photo finish.

He's already being used on posters to advertise the Athens Games, but Kederis has proved himself ideal championship material. The 28-year-old, currently writing a book about himself, came from behind on the straight to take his first world title - convincingly - in 20.04 seconds.

Behind him, it took a close study of the photo finish to decide who came next. Chris Williams of Jamaica was given silver (20.20), while both Kim Collins of St Kitts and Nevis and Shawn Crawford of the United States tied for the bronze, also credited with 20.20 seconds.

One again the European had upset the more fancied sprinters.

The difference with El Guerrouj though is that his biggest rival is not a knockout punch from the opposition but pressure. If he can handle that, events in Edmonton will conclude with another fitting champion.