Athletics has a hard act to follow after the myriad world records set in the swimming pool this week, but the original Olympic sport, which gets under way today in Beijing’s “Bird’s Nest” National Stadium, has plenty of drama in store.

Prime among these is the 100m sprint, the heats for which take place today with the final tomorrow – a race expected to be no less explosive than the fireworks in the Bird’s Nest at last Friday’s opening ceremony.