Chris Tomlinson is not the only British athlete hoping to make a major breakthrough at next month's World Championships. Scott Wilson profiles five other rising stars hoping to make an impact in Osaka.

CRAIG PICKERING (100m)

He might just be 20, but Craig Pickering is already on track to become the first white sprinter to break the ten-second barrier for the 100m.

A former World Youth Championships bronze medallist, Pickering burst on to the senior scene when he claimed a 60m silver at March's European Indoor Championships.

He has maintained his progress outdoors, underlining his potential with a personal-best performance of 10.15 sec to win the 100m at the European Cup.

MO FARAH (5,000m)

A regular winner on the cross-country circuit, Mo Farah finally began to translate his form on to the track when he claimed a 5,000m silver medal in last summer's European Championships.

He finished tenth in this year's World Cross-Country Championships and has risen more than 20 places in the world 5,000m rankings in the last 12 months.

The Somalia-born 23-year-old is the British number one at both 1,500m and 5,000m, but is expected to compete in the longer event in Osaka.

BECKY LYNE (800m)

Becky Lyne was arguably Britain's most improved athlete last season, emerging from nowhere to claim a bronze medal at the European Championships.

The 25-year-old is one of a number of emerging 800m runners and her fourth place at last September's World Cup confirmed that she has the ability to compete with the leading Africans who tend to dominate women's middle-distance running.

A former European junior and Under-23 champion, Lyne is hoping to reach her first World Championships final next month.

GOLDIE SAYERS (Javelin)

Currently ranked number three in the world, Goldie Sayers is maintaining a fine British tradition in women's javelin that encompasses former champions Fatima Whitbread and Tessa Sanderson.

The 24-year-old became the first British woman to throw a redesigned javelin more than 65m when she shattered the UK record at Loughborough in May.

She followed up that performance with an even more impressive display in Glasgow last month, beating Olympic silver medallist Steffi Nerius and European silver medallist Barbara Spotakova with a throw of 63.59m.

JESSICA ENNIS (Heptathlon)

She might be known as the Tadpole, but Jessica Ennis is already making quite a splash in the world of heptathlon.

The 21-year-old psychology graduate has leapfrogged Kelly Sotherton at the top of the British rankings after breaking Denise Lewis' national under-23 heptathlon record this summer.

Her greatest success came when she was crowned European Cup Combined Events champion in Poland two weeks ago, and Ennis is one of the few heptathletes capable of challenging Sweden's Carolina Kluft for the world crown.