A record 203 countries have entered the ninth world athletics championships opening on Saturday, International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president Lamine Diack said on Thursday.

Diack told a news conference at the end of the IAAF's two-day congress that a total 1,902 athletes, with 1,054 men and 848 women, would take part -- including two sprinters from Afghanistan.

Prize money of $100,000 will be given to any athlete who breaks a world record.

The president of the organising committee, Jean Dussourd said 448,000 tickets had been sold for the nine-day championships.

"We expect to have more than 500,000 visitors to the stadium," he said.

Chambers ready to start new sprinting era

 European champion Dwain Chambers promised on Thursday he would start a new era of sprinting at Monday's world championships 100-metre final.

 While Olympic and three-time world champion Maurice Greene was showing off a new shoe design and predicting an unprecedented fourth consecutive title on Monday, Briton Chambers told a news conference "that's not going to happen".

 "There will be opening (of) a new chapter," said Chambers, who along with Greene and world record holder Tim Montgomery are considered the 100-metre favourites.

 "The past five years he has had it all his own way," Chambers said of Greene. "Now obviously we are somewhat on a level playing field, and it's going to be interesting to see come Monday night."

 Still, Chambers described himself as "the underdog" as he enters "what is the most important time of my life".

 It is a role few others are assigning him, given his form so far this season. But a lot of careers, including his, will be shaped by what happens in these championships, Chambers said, and he did not want to appear overconfident.

  PRESSURE

 Chambers said there was already enough pressure being considered by many as both Britain's best hope for a gold medal and the 100-metre favourite because of his recent success, while Greene and Montgomery had not performed up to expectations.

 The need to stay as relaxed as possible is one reason why he moved out of the athletes' village, Chambers said.

 "Being amongst the village is cool," he said. "But at this time I need to be isolated and keep myself as composed as much as possible.

 "I've had my fair share of hits in the previous years, so I've got to go out there with a better mind-set and go out there and be more composed than I have in the past."

 

Greene exhibites his new boot for the Paris world athletics championship.

That fact that he has run only 10.03 this season while Greene clocked 9.94 seconds in June did not concern him.

 "I haven't shown my colours just as yet," he said. "My previous three wins have been into head winds, which indicates I am in 9.9 (seconds) shape."

 Both he and Greene predicted, though, that it could take a time in the 9.8 seconds range to win.

 Both also said they were only too aware of Montgomery despite his poor form this year after setting the world record of 9.87 seconds in Paris last September.

 But the outspoken Greene, who was promoting his new shoe and laughed and joked throughout his news conference, still said he would create history on Monday.

 "I want to go where no man has gone before," said Greene, referring to the fact no-one has won four consecutive 100-metre world titles.

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