When Harrison of the United States produced the performance of the 2016 Muller Anniversary Games with her time of 12.20sec bettering Bulgaria’s Yordanka Gordova mark of 12.21 set in 1988, there was a bittersweet feel, as she had failed to qualify for the impending Olympics Games in Rio.

However, at last month’s USA Track and Field (USATF) Trials, she earned a victory that ensured her place at this year’s IAAF World Championships and she followed this up last Tuesday by clocking 12.28 at meeting in Hungary which put her top of this year’s world rankings, well clear of compatriots Jasmin Stowers, who has run 12.47, and Olympic silver medallist Nia Ali, who has clocked 12.52.

Although Olympic champion Brianna Rollins is now serving a mandatory one-year ban for missing three random doping tests last year – one after she forgot to update her whereabouts when she was attending a fete of honour in her hometown and another when she was travelling to the White House to meet the President – the US still maintains an extraordinary dominance in this event.

The London field will also include Harrison’s compatriots Christina Manning, who will be racing at the IAAF World Championships, and Olympic bronze medallist Kristi Castlin.

Looking to stand up against the US high-hurdling superpower is Australia’s London 2012 champion Sally Pearson, now moving back to top form after longstanding injury problems.

Harrison’s pre-eminence in her event is mirrored by that of Russia’s world high jump champion Mariya Lasitskene, competing under a neutral banner, who appears firmly on course to retain her title after clearing 2m or more seven times during the outdoor season, culminating in  her world leading personal best and Diamond League record of 2.06m in Lausanne on Thursday.

With a warm afternoon expected, Lasitskene could even threaten the world record as she seeks her 17th win of the year against Spain’s Olympic champion Ruth Beitia, Vashti Cunningham, the 19-year-old world indoor champion from the US, and Britain’s in-form youngster Morgan Lake.

Mo Farah who will whet the home crowd’s appetite for his farewell track performances at the World Championships by running a 3,000m, is one of 12 reigning Olympic and 11 current world champions involved.

The women’s 100m will see Jamaica’s Olympic champion Elaine Thompson take on Dafne Schippers, the world 200m champion from The Netherlands, in a race that will also involve Britain’s European 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith.

Thompson tops this year’s world lists with the 10.71 she ran at the Jamaican championships a fortnight ago, and won last Saturday’s Diamond League race in Paris in 10.91.

Schippers, who has specifically targeted a 100m medal at the Worlds after taking silver in Beijing two years ago, has a best this year of 10.95 and good memories of the arena where she set a national record of 10.92 in 2015.

The women’s pole vault is another loaded field with all three Rio medallists – Greece's Ekaterini Stefanidi, Sandi Morris of the US and New Zealander Eliza McCartney – plus world champion Yarisley Silva of Cuba.

Elsewhere in the field events, Croatia’s surprise Olympic javelin champion and 2017 world-leading performer Sara Kolak takes on world record holder Barbora Spotákova of the Czech Republic and Germany’s world champion Katharina Molitor just three days after beating both in Lausanne with a national record of 68.43m.

The men’s 200m offers an opportunity for a glimpse of Fred Kerley, the 22-year-old US athlete who could be giving Olympic 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk a run for his money in this stadium next running month.

Running for Texas A&M on May 26, Kerley smashed the collegiate record of 44.00 set by a then future Olympic champion Quincy Watts, running 43.70sec, a time which put him seventh on the all-time lists.

The men’s sprint hurdles brings world record holder Aries Merritt back to the scene of his 2012 Olympic victory against a field that includes Britain’s Andy Pozzi, who ran a personal best of 13.14 in Paris last weekend, and Frenchman Garfield Darien, who won in Ostrava last week.

A women’s mile clash between Britain’s European indoor 1,500 and 3,000m champion Laura Muir and Kenya’s Olympic 5,000m silver medallist Hellen Obiri takes top billing among the middle distance events.

Muir is expected to target Zola Budd’s long-standing British record of 4 min 17.57sec.

London 2012 800m silver medallist Nijel Amos of Botswana, who announced his return to form this season with victory in Paris in 1:44.24, lines up against another high achiever still seeking his best this year in the form of Kenya’s triple world 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop.