Kenyan world champion Daniel Komen attacks his 3,000 metres world record at the Monaco Grand Prix tonight at the end of an historic week in middle and distance running.

After world records in the men's 800 metres, 3,000 metres steeplechase and 5,000 metres in a remarkable few hours at Wednesday's Zurich Grand Prix, it would be a major achievement for Komen to better the 3,000 best of seven minutes 20.67 seconds set in Rieti, Italy, last season.

The Kenyan was involved in an intense 5,000 metres battle with Haile Gebrselassie in Zurich when the Ethiopian destroyed his own world record with a time of 12:41.86. Second-placed Komen set a Kenyan record of 12:44.90, close to the previous world mark.

But even in the Monte Carlo casinos it would be a brave man who would bet against a 21-yearold athlete who first gained his endurance from running 20 km to and from school as a child.

Before he went to Athens earlier this month to win the 5,000 metres world title, Komen set a world record for the two miles of 7:58.61 in Belgium. On the same track last season the Kenyan went within 0.05 seconds of the previous 3,000 metres best during an astonishing few weeks of running.

Denmark's Wilson Kipketer, who took nearly half-a-second off Seb Coe's 16-year-old 800 metres world record on Wednesday, the oldest record in the book, with a time of 1:41.24, will also take part in Monaco.

But he is unlikely to be able to lift himself again so soon after Zurich's performance when he ran an astonishing 48.10 seconds for the first 400 metres.

The men's 1,500 metres could also be fast with Olympic champion Noureddine Morceli clashing with Spain's former Olympic champion Fermin Cacho, the silver medallist at last year's Olympic Games in Atlanta.

American world 100 metres champions Maurice Greene and Marion Jones are both in action again against the athletes who defeated them in Zurich.

Ireland's Susan Smith will hope to confirm her new status among the best when she lines up in the 400 metres hurdles.