Issued on: 26/09/2019 – 03:17 Doha (AFP) The first World Athletics Championships of the post-Usain Bolt era get under way here Friday with the sport desperately seeking a new superstar as it tackles a slew of ongoing doping controversies.More than 2,000 athletes from over 200 countries and territories will take part across 10 days of competition at Doha’s Khalifa International stadium, where organisers say a state-of-the-art air-conditioning system will shield competitors from ferocious heat and humidity.The championships are seen as a key staging post for Qatar as the Gulf state prepares for the vastly greater challenge of hosting football’s World Cup in 2022.For athletics fans, the championships will also provide clues to likely contenders at next year’s Tokyo Olympics.As ever, all eyes will be on the sprints, where the retirement of Jamaican superstar Bolt in 2017 has left a gaping chasm where an icon once stood. The likeliest successor to Bolt’s throne appears to be US star Noah Lyles, the Diamond League champion and overwhelming favourite for gold in the 200 metres.Lyles, 22, is expected to target a 100m-200m double in Tokyo next year but is only entered in the longer event in Doha.That leaves the way clear in the…