THE Olympic movement perceived the inaugural global athletics championships as a threat in 1983. After 16 editions we can see how the World event has enriched the sport.

1983 Helsinki (Britain 6th: gold Steve Cram 1500m, Daley Thompson decathlon; silver Fatima Whitbread javelin, women's 4x100m; bronze Kathy Smallwood-Cook 200m, Colin Reitz steeplechase, men's 4x400m)

Cram's 1500m gold completed a treble beyond Seb Coe or Steve Ovett: World, European, and Commonwealth titles. And no GB woman has won a global 100 or 200m medal since Smallwood-Cook. Allan Wells (one of seven Scots) was fourth in both 100 and 200m, his last global championships. Carl Lewis won four golds, including a relay world best. Jarmila Kratochvílová won the 400m in a world record 47.99 - still second fastest ever.

1987 Rome (7th: gold Whitbread javelin; silver Jon Ridgeon 110m hurdles, Peter Elliott 1500m, men's 4x400; bronze Linford Christie 100m, John Regis 200m, Jack Buckner 5000m, Colin Jackson 110m hurdles)

Ben Johnson carved a tenth from the 100m best with 9.83sec, but was stripped of the title for doping. So Lewis retained his crown with Christie promoted to bronze. Stefka Kostadinova's 2.09 metres is still world high jump record. Liz Lynch was best of five Scots, fifth in the 10,000.

1991 Tokyo (5th: gold Liz McColgan 10,000m, men's 4x400m; silver Roger Back 400m, Sally Gunnell 400m hurdles; bronze Tony Jarrett 110m hurdles, Kris Akabusi 400m hurdles, men's 4x100)

McColgan's epic run was upstaged, with most of the crowd focussing on the long jump duel between Lewis and Mike Powell. Bob Beamon's 23-year-old world mark fell (Lewis's first defeat in 10 years), and Powell's 8.95m has now lasted 26. Lewis, however, set a world 100m record, and another in the relay, though the US surrendered 4x400m gold to Britain. Five Scots, with Yvonne Murray (3000m) and Tom Hanlon (steeplechase) reaching finals.

1993 Stuttgart (4th: gold Gunnell 400m hurdles, Christie 100m, Colin Jackson 110m hurdles; silver Regis 200m, Jarrett 110m hurdles, men's 4x100m; bronze Jonathan Edwards triple jump, Steve Smith high jump, Mick Hill javelin, women's 4x400m)

We'd broken the story at the Barcelona Olympics a year earlier: Britain had developed the supplement creatine, aiding energy transfer. It now helped deliver our best World Championships: a still unsurpassed 10 medals including three golds and world records from Gunnell and Jackson. But the six Scots in the team showed little evidence of having used it,

1995 Gothenburg (13th: gold Edwards triple jump; silver Jarrett 110m hurdles, Steve Backley javelin, Kelly Holmes 1500m; bronze Holmes 800m)

Edwards had exceeded 18 metres four times, but was denied a record by the wind. In the Ullevi he jumped back-to-back world bests, and his 18.29m is the current record. There were world marks from Inessa Kravets (triple jump) and Kim Batten removed Gunnell's best (still seventh all-time). There were six Scots, led by McColgan, sixth in the 10,000m, though Mel Neef helped the 4x400 women to fifth.

1997 Athens (24th: silver Jackson 110m hurdles, Edwards triple jump, Backley javelin, Denise Lewis heptathlon, men's 4x400m; bronze men's 4x100m)

Sergey Bubka cleared 6.01m for his sixth successive pole vault crown, but only 10 of the 44 Olympic champions from a year earlier won here. There were no world records, no gold for Britain, and just four Scots. Dougie Walker helped the relay quartet to bronze.

1999 Seville (11th: gold Jackson 110m hurdles; silver Dean Macey decathlon, men's 4x100m, Paula Radcliffe 10,000m, Lewis heptathon; bronze Dwain Chambers 100m)

Jackson became the first Brit to win a second title, and Gebrselassie won a fourth 10k gold, but Michael Johnson stole the show with a world 400m best - beaten only last year. Stacey Dragila won the inaugural women's pole vault with a world mark of 4.60m - a height since beaten by 59 women. Hurdler Sinead Dudgeon, the sole Scot, went out in the heats.

2001 Edmonton (19th: gold Edwards triple jump; bronze Macey decathlon)

Edwards' second title, at 35. Fourth, out-sprinted by three Ethiopians, drove Paula Radcliffe to the marathon, but of three Scots, the only finalist was Lee McConnell, fifth in the relay.

2003 Paris (30th: silver Kelly Holmes 800m; bronze Darren Campbell 100m, Hayley Tullett 1500m).

World bests in both men's walks, but marred by doping and disqualification tantrums from Jon Drummond. GB lost relay bronze due to Chambers being busted. Kelli White, winner of both women's sprints, forfeited two golds. Pity Tullett - the pair ahead of her subsequently served drug bans, but with no medal reallocation. Ian Mackie (4th, 4x400) and McConnell (7th 400, 6th 4x400) flew the Saltire.

2005 Helsinki (16th: gold Radcliffe marathon; bronze men's 4x100, women's 4x400)

The title doubles by Justin Gatlin (100 and 200) and Rashid Ramzi (800 and 1500), men's hammer gold and silver, women's hammer gold and bronze, women's shot gold, and women's 1500m gold and silver, were all by known or future doping offenders. The only Scot of six to qualify for a final was McConnell, with relay bronze.

2007 Osaka (10th: gold Christine Ohuruogu 400m; silver Nicola Sanders 400m; bronze Jo Pavey 10,000m, women's 4x400, men's 4x100, Kelly Sotherton heptathlon)

Ohuruogu, back following a ban for missing a doping control, led the UK's first World one-two. Bernard Lagat won both 1500 and 5000 with Mo Farah sixth at his first global championship. Pavey waited 10 years for bronze, thanks to retroactive doping analysis. Just two Scots: Andrew Lemoncello ('chase) and McConnell with her second relay bronze.

2009 Berlin (8th: gold Jessica Ennis heptathlon, Philips Idowu triple jump; silver Lisa Dobriskey 1500m, men's 4x400; bronze Jenny Meadows 800m, men's 4x100)

Lightning strike: the world records in both sprints by Usain Bolt still stand - perhaps the greatest athletics performances ever, followed by a third gold in the relay. Anita Wlodarczyk set a world best in the hammer, and with 21 of the 30 longest throws ever, she's a stronger London favourite than Bolt. Androgyny issues still cloud 800m winner Caster Semenya. Three Scots were present, with McConnell fourth in the relay.

2011 Daegu (6th: gold Farah 5000m, Dai Greene 400m hurdles, Ennis heptathlon; silver Farah 10,000m, Idowu triple jump, Hannah England 1500m; bronze Andy Turner 110m hurdles)

Mo's first big moment, with gold and silver, but lightning fizzled out - Bolt disqualified in the 100m for a false start before winning the 200 and anchoring Jamaica's relay to a world best. Three Scots, with Eilidh Child (400m hurdles) and McConnell (400m) reaching semis - a record sixth appearance for Lee who was also in the fourth-placed relay squad.

2013 Moscow (7th: gold Farah 5000 and 10,000, Ohuruogu 400m; silver women's 4x400; bronze Tiffany Porter 100m hurdles, women's 4x100)

Bolt claimed a fourth global treble and Farah his second such double, while Ohuruogu won by four thousandths of a second. Three of six Scots reached finals: Child fifth (hurdles) and collecting relay bronze, Eilish McColgan tenth ('chase), and Chris O'Hare 12th (1500m).

2015 Beijing (4th: gold Farah 5000 and 10,000, Greg Rutherford long jump, Ennis-Hill heptathlon; silver Shara Procter long jump; bronze men's and women's 4x400)

Arise Sir Mo! And don't overlook Rutherford, holding all four majors. Ashton Eaton improved his decathlon world best and Bolt's treble brought his World haul to 13 (11 gold). Seven Scots equalled Helsinki - surpassed by 11 in London. Child, on her fourth World appearance, was sixth (hurdles) and claimed relay bronze with Kirsten McAslan. Laura Muir (1500m) took fifth, while Steph Twell (5000m) was twelfth.

However, Liz McColgan remains Scotland's sole individual medallist.