The battle to be crowned ‘World’s Fastest Woman’ appears to be a two-way tussle between USA’s Torri Edwards and Veronica Campbell of Jamaica.

The pair are the only women to breach the 11-second barrier this season with Edwards winning seven out of eight 100m races, her only loss coming at the hands of Campbell in New York.

Edwards, who won the world 100m title in Paris four years ago, is in the form of her life this year after setting a personal best of 10.90 in Carson and is well prepared to land her second world 100m title.

Campbell, the Olympic 200m champion, has also been in scintillating form this season with three sub-11-second clockings behind her including the world’s fastest time - 10.89 registered in Kingston.

Beyond this pair US and Jamaican athletes continue to feature strongly in the world lists. Campbell is joined on the Jamaican team by Kerron Stewart (11.03) and Commonwealth champion Sheri-Ann Brooks (11.05).

Meanwhile, the US team is bolstered by Carmelita Jeter (11.05), defending champion Lauryn Williams (11.11) and Mechelle Lewis (11.13).

Another name to watch out for is Bulgaria’s double World Junior sprint champion, Tezdzhan Naimova, who has impressed this season with a best time of 11.04.

The reigning European 100m champion Kim Gevaert (BEL) is also entered as is Christina Arron (FRA), who won two sprint bronze medals at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki.

Merlene Ottey, the most bemedalled athlete in the history of the championships, is set for her eighth appearance in the event – 24 years after making her World Championship debut in Helsinki. Ottey, 47, the former Jamaica who now competes for Slovenia, has a season’s best time of 11.56.