World Athletics day four: Rudisha and Rutherford ready to rumble

All that eludes London 2012 homegrown hero Greg Rutherford is a world title, and he’s 7/4 with Coral to follow up his Commonwealth Games crown last summer by finally getting that on day four of the World Athletic Championships in Beijing.

USA athlete Jeff Henderson, the world leader having jumped 1cm further than Rutherford this season, stands in his way, however, and is odds-on at 1/2 to deny the Briton glory in the Bird’s Nest.

Men’s 800m world record holder David Rudisha is in with a real chance of regaining the global title. His main rival Nijel Amos of Botswana was run out of the semi-final by the Kenyan, while defending champion Mohammed Aman also missed out.

Olympic champion Rudisha is a superb 6/4 for a second World Athletics Championships Gold medal, though Bosnia’s Amel Tuka is a narrow 11/8 favourite because he has ran faster this season.

Returning to Team GB, women’s world 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu will expect to make the final again and get through the semis. At 12/1 to retain the crown, however, she will have to continue her knack of peaking when it matters most.

Understudy Anyika Onuora will almost certainly have to run another personal best to advance from the semis, with a strong American and Caribbean contingent in this event, headed by odds-on 8/15 Gold medal favourite Allyson Felix.

Over 1500m, Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba has dominated and holds a short 1/10 price to become world champion. Another woman widely anticipated to grab Gold is Croatian discus thrower Sandra Perkovic at 1/3.