Hicham El Guerrouj and Ana Guevara have suffered Olympic disappointments but here on Wednesday they put on a royal show as the former won the men's 1,500 metres while the latter took the 400m.

While El Guerrouj was celebrating his fourth successive title it was 26-year-old Guevara's first and the manner in which the Mexican destroyed her rivals in the eighth fastest time ever makes her just as hot a favourite for Olympic gold next year in her event as is the Moroccan in his.

However, as El Guerrouj knows from bitter experience, winning every race leading up to the Olympics does not give one the divine right to the biggest prize in the sport.

What will encourage Guevara -- who claims that Marita Koch's 18-year-old record is beyond her and thinks instead she could break the 800m mark -- is she received the stamp of approval from the now retired 2000 Olympic champion, Cathy Freeman.

"What impresses me is her heart and her power," said the Australian.

However, for some great champions there was to be but bitter disappointment on Wednesday.

Four-time long jump winner Ivan Pedroso of Cuba had to withdraw after just one attempt in the qualifying round after the 30-year-old picked up an ankle injury.

Tomas Dvorak was not in tune at all as the Czech Republic's three-time decathlon champion finished amongst the also-rans behind Tom Pappas of the United States.

While one American celebrated, another, 400m champion Jerome Young, awoke from his night of joy thinking he was a hero only to find the Los Angeles Times had published a story which would have taken the crunch out of his corn flakes.

It claimed he was the 2000 Olympic winning athlete from the team who had tested positive for drugs but his identity had been kept quiet by the domestic authorities.

The 27-year-old American was allowed to run in the 4x400 relay team at the Olympics after he won an internal appeal.

Olympic officials told the newspaper they should have been informed of the initial results.

However, USA Track and Field officials defended themselves by saying that as he was ultimately cleared there was no need to go through such a process and, on Wednesday, said all the cases during the period of 1996-2000 were closed.

"All cases at the time were closed by the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) -- the final decision was recognised by the IAAF," a spokesperson said.

The IAAF took the same line as the Americans.

However, Dick Pound, head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), told the LA Times the affair had destroyed the legality of the American relay victory.

"It does far more than cast doubt on the legitimacy," the Canadian said.

"It totally destroys it."

If the Jamaican-born runner felt the pressure coming out to accept his medal he didn't show it as he leapt on to the podium boasting a broad smile and received a standing ovation.

One of his former compatriots Kemel Thompson could at last give the Caribbean island something to party about having seen their thunder stolen by the tiny St Kitts and Nevis with Kim Collins's 100m title.

Thompson stormed home in his 400m hurdles semifinal to give the reigning champion Felix Sanchez a wake up call that perhaps his unbeaten streak stretching back to the last world championships was under more threat than he had imagined.

"Nobody is unbeatable -- even Felix Sanchez," said Thompson.

The American 100m sprinters certainly proved Thompson's point but their 200m entrants looked in a different class and John Capel didn't seem to have a care in the world as he made Thursday's semifinals.

"I drew up alongside Darren Campbell and said to him 'man you ain't even running yet'. That's what track is all about -- fun!".