The history of prospecting for gold is more chequered than an entire in-field of chess boards. For every pioneer who struck rich there are thousands of others driven to lunacy by the sheer frustration of it all.

A century and a half ago people flocked from all over the world to make their fortunes in Californian riverbeds only to leave a couple of years later with less than they arrived with. Something similar could be said for modern day athletics.

The desire to be The One, the competitor who crosses the line first, continues to drive men and women to unbelievable sacrifices and almost masochistic depths of physical pain.

It drives some over the edge. Yet unlike the olden day 49ers the flow of contenders never runs dry.

Eight more lined up at the Alexander Stadium last Saturday looking to seize the spoils that went with winning the British 100 metres final, which included not just the precious nugget of a medal but also a plane ticket to the IAAF World Championships in Daegu later this month.

Six of them had already experienced gold fever on a global or continental level during their younger days.

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Craig Pickering, Mark Lewis-Francis, Dwain Chambers, Christian Malcolm, Marlon Devonish – sprint kings and princes to a man.

Each have World or European Youth, Junior or Under 23 titles to their name and relay and team medals are in abundant and glorious supply.

However, only Devonish and Chambers have gone on to take individual titles on the interntional stage – and even then indoors rather than during the peak of summer competition – and in doing so fulfilled the promise of their early careers.

The problem of converting youthful potential into adult potency is hardly confined to these shores and since the World Junior Championships were first held in 1986, only Usain Bolt and Francis Obikwelu have gone on to enjoy continued success.

Britain can claim two of the most poignant stories, though, and both of the protagonists lined up in Birmingham at the weekend before their afternoon’s diverged at a rapid rate.

The race hadn’t even started before 2000 World Junior gold medal winner Lewis-Francis had false-started and been subsequently disqualified.

His chances of making it to South Korea, as anything other than a hugely experienced and very good relay squad member, are now extremely remote.

European and Commonwealth runner-up last year and back to square one this. Lewis-Francis is 28-years-old an, unlike his event, his route to fulfilling his promise has been anything but straightforward.

Meanwhile, a few lanes to the Birchfield Harrier’s left, 2006 World Junior champ Aikines-Aryeetey overcame a poor start to hurtle down the track and finish second behind Chambers.

It wasn’t gold but his silver was his first senior 100m medal. He beat Devonish on the dip and he claims it is a sign that he is ready to make the step up and oust the old guard.