Working at the Olympics in 2021 was a bizarre experience, writes Katharine Merry, so it's going be fantastic to see the athletes strutting their stuff in front of the public this month 

To my mind, the omens look good for these world championships. I’ve started having the first flutters of excitement and I’m sensing the same from the athletes. I think the best sign is that, having experienced the 2021 Olympics, so many of them can’t wait to go back to that national stadium in Tokyo – and not just because of the chance to compete there in front of a crowd.

It’s known for being a great venue, with a fast track, and this time it will be the real thing.   

I, for one, am looking forward to not having to do a spit test every morning to get into the place! Working at those Olympics – as stadium presenter alongside Geoff Wightman – will always be one of the most bizarre things that I've ever done. 

Myself and Geoff have spoken a lot since, about how we felt a real weight of responsibility. Because there were no fans, we felt like we needed to really up our game because we were the creators of the atmosphere. It's so much easier when you're doing it along with thousands of people and riding the wave of their excitement and emotion. But we didn't have that.

We really felt for the athletes. I remember the competitors in the jumps, just out of habit, turning towards the stands to get some rhythmical clapping going, and then realising there was no-one there. Thankfully, it’s all going to be very different this time. 

I’ll be there in a different role, working for BBC Radio Five Live, and we’re going to have so much to talk about. I’m really excited about the short sprints and the men’s 100m is bubbling up beautifully – from the pushing and shoving between Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek at the US trials to Kishane Thompson putting down a marker in Silesia and then Oblique Seville scorching through the rain in Brussels.  

It’s Noah and Kishane in particular who draw your attention, and not just because this looks like being a brilliant rematch after the Paris Olympic final. They are also so contrasting in terms of their styles.

Kishane's got the faster start and front end speed, while Noah's got the back end and the strength to come through. If Noah manages to get out quickly then he'll beat Kishane, but Noah doesn't tend to get out very well so it all balances itself out and suggests it’s going to be close. 

I think Kishane’s win in Silesia was hugely significant and will be the reason why he didn’t race any more Diamond Leagues. He said he withdrew from Lausanne with a tight hamstring but I suspect he knew he’d done his job and that it was best to leave it there. He has put Noah in the position where he’s effectively chasing again but, then again, Noah loves being in that position and not much fazes him. 

I think the majority of neutrals would like to see Kishane coming out on top in this one and, though Noah has a habit of producing the goods when he needs to, I think he’s more likely to win the 200m, which feels like much more of a free-for-all. 

On the women’s side, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden has been impeccable this year and is doing what Julien Alfred did last year – running consistently fast every time she steps on the track. Julien had been looking really good earlier in the summer but, if her injury has been as disruptive as some people say, then it’s going to be a tough ask to knock Melissa off her stride. The American has been so consistent and that consistency creates pressure on the opposition. When they know she is going to be running to a certain standard come what may, the margin for error is so much smaller and it can force mistakes. 

From a British point of view, I think Britain’s best chances of a medal will come from Zharnel Hughes, Dina Asher-Smith and possibly Amy Hunt. 

To me, Zharnel has put himself on a different level from the rest of the British guys this year and there’s definitely an opportunity for him to get on the podium. 

The same goes for Dina, and I think that’s more likely to come in the 200m than the 100m. She’s a hugely experienced competitor now at major championships and that is invaluable. After their brilliant 200m final at the national championships, it would be superb to see Dina and Amy – Daryll Neita too – going toe to toe again on the world stage but we have to remember that major championships are just such a different beast to everything else. 

It’s just so hard to replicate that change of intensity or the level of focus that’s needed. This is the one that matters. There’s no tomorrow. It’s a completely different level.

I’m always watching my event, the 400m, closely and I must admit I was surprised at Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s decision to contest that rather than the 400m hurdles, where she’s the Olympic champion and a serial world record-breaker.  

Barring disaster, Femke Bol is going to take the hurdles gold now but I can understand why she said she was disappointed not to be racing against Sydney in Tokyo. After losing out in Paris, Femke will have wanted a rematch and she definitely won’t want that caveat of “you only won the world title because Sydney wasn’t there”.

But Sydney has earned the right to do what she wants – and I like the fact that she’s mixing things up. She has certainly given herself a challenge. She’s got to get past Marileidy Paulino and Salwa Eid Naser for a start, and it’s not as if Sydney’s been breaking records this summer. Yes, she’s third-fastest in the world this year, with 48.90, but she hasn’t come close to Sanya Richards-Ross’s US record of 48.70 since running 48.74 in 2003. That said, she’s showing drive and desire. 

Would winning world 400m gold arguably be her greatest achievement? Only if she does it with a really fast time. For it to be majorly impressive, I’d want to see her doing it by beating the top two and breaking that national record in the process. 

Whoever comes out on top, the best bit is that, this time, there will be a crowd to share the experience with.