Track and field worlds: Athletes to watch

The 14th world track and field championships run Saturday through Aug. 18 at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

The event attracts 2,000 athletes from 206 countries, with Canada boasting 24 Olympians on its 46-person roster, including decathlete Damian Warner and heptathlete Jessica Zelinka, both of London, Ont., and high jumper Michael Mason of Nanoose Bay, B.C.

A rash of injuries and a bevy of high-profile positive drug tests means notable athletes like sprinters Tyson Gay of the United States and Jamaican Asafa Powell will be absent.

Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill, sprinter Yohan Blake and 800-metre runner David Rudisha are among the walking wounded.

In the gallery above, we feature six men and six women to keep an eye on during the nine-day event.