Torri Edwards of USA during the 100m quarter finals (Getty Images)

Osaka, Japan - Now that we’ve settled – for a year at least – that Tyson Gay is the world’s fastest man, it’s time to find out who the world’s fastest woman is. And that, for those who love speed, is the Number One question on Monday’s feast of five finals and a trio of almost equally compelling semi-final competitions.

World’s fastest woman to be decided

Sunday’s heats and quarter-finals didn’t give us much of a hint as to who “she” will be, but among the strongest entries are the Jamaican trio of Veronica Campbell (2004 Olympic 200m champion), Kerron Stewart and Sherri-Ann Brooks, the American quartet of defending champion Lauryn Williams, Torri Edwards (U.S. national champion), Carmelita Jeter and Mechelle Lewis, Bahamians Chandra Sturrup and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie and Europeans Kim Gevaert (BEL) and Christine Arron (FRA).

Oops! That’s too many to fit into the eight lanes of the final, which is what makes the two semi-finals – a bit over two hours before the final -- compelling races in themselves.

Bekele going for title No. 3

Just before the women’s 100 final will be the men’s 10,000m final, where one has to look no farther than the incomparable Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia. His credentials? Merely, the world record of 26:17.53, gold medalist at the 2003 and 2005 World Championships and the 2004 Olympic Games, and an undefeated record at 10,000m. There are six other entrants who have broken 27 minutes – Bekele’s teammates Gebre Gebremariam and Sileshi Sihine, Zersenay Tadesse of Eritrea, Josphat Muchiri of Kenya, Boniface Kiprop of Uganda, and Hassan Abdullah Ahmad of Qatar (formerly Albert Chepkurui of Kenya). It’s hard to see anyone breaking into East Africa’s domination of this race.

The other distance final on today’s program is the women’s 3,000m Steeplechase, where Russia’s World record holder at 9:01.59, Gulnara Samitova-Galkina, aided by teammates Yekaterina Volkova and Tatyana Petrova, offers the possibility of a Russian sweep. The competitor most likely to intrude is Kenyan Eunice Jepkorir. If it weren’t for the hot, steamy weather, we might well be looking at the first sub-nine-minutes women’s steeplechase.

Murofushi takes centre stage

Both men’s field event finals appear to be wide-open affairs. The men’s Hammer Throw – where Koji Murofushi carries Japan’s hope for a medal – is led by three throwers over 82 metres this year. They are Belarussians Vadim Devyatovskiy at 82.94 and 2005 champion Ivan Tsikhan (82.58), and Slovenian Primoz Kozmus (82.30). For what it’s worth, Libor Charfreitag of Slovakia, a former NCAA champion in the US, was the only qualifier who threw past 80 metres on Saturday.

Wide open men’s Triple Jump

With Sweden’s Olympic champion Christian Olsson out with an injury, the Triple Jump will be dominated by…who? The only three qualifiers who met or exceeded the automatic qualifying mark of 17.10 were Portugal’s Nelson Evora, who led at 17.22m, and Jadel Gregorio of Brazil and defending champion Walter Davis (USA), both at 17.10. Others to watch for are Britain’s 2007 Commonwealth Games champion Phillips Idowu and 2007 U.S champ Arik Wilson. Any one of these could pop the big one.

There will also be sensational (I promise!) semi-finals in the men’s 1500m and the women's 400m.