IAAF World Athletics Championships 2017: Events, TV Schedule and Live Stream

The 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships will get underway on Friday at London Stadium. Usain Bolt, Mo Farah and Laura Muir will be among those bidding for gold medals in the key events.

For Muir, this tournament is a chance to win both the women's 1,500- and 5,000-metre races. As for Bolt, the Jamaican will be racing for the last time, and all eyes will be on him during the men's 100-metre event, while long-distance great Farah will also attempt to sign off in style.

Coverage will begin at 6 p.m. BST on BBC Two in the United Kingdom, with the opening ceremony being followed by the start of races at 7 p.m. Schedule and viewing details for the full 10 days of the tournament and its events are available at BBC Sport.

Audiences in the U.S. can watch from Friday at 1 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Gold, NBC, NBCSN, NBC Sports and the Olympic channel. The viewing schedule can be found at NBCSports.com.

Here are the live-streaming links: BBC iPlayer. NBC Sports App.

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Bolt will walk away from the sport, despite eight Olympic gold medals to his credit, after events in London. His decision to retire has prompted some to laud the decorated 30-year-old's place as an icon of track and field.

Among them, IAAF president Sebastian Coe has dubbed Bolt "the best sprinter of all time," per BBC Sport. Coe also compared the Jamaican's impact on athletics to that of a legend of the boxing ring: "Usain Bolt is a genius. I can't think, other than Muhammad Ali, of anybody that has so had an impact inside or beyond their sport."

Perhaps Bolt's toughest challenge will come from precocious 21-year-old Chris Coleman, who is the fastest man set to take part, based on his form during this calendar year, per Mike Henson of BBC Sport

Bolt isn't the only athlete looking to make a lasting statement in London; Farah has also been backed for success when he takes part in the men's 10,000-metre final on Friday.

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BBC commentator Brendan Foster believes Farah can win both the 10,000 and 5,000 events, per the Guardian's Martha Kelner.

Foster thinks Farah will win because he can handle both the pressure and weight of expectation, saying: "There's a lot of pressure on Mo because you look around and think, 'Who else is going to win a gold medal? His two mates, Jess (Ennis-Hill) and Greg (Rutherford), have left him so he's the last man standing. But if anybody can handle the pressure it's him."

Farah may deal with the pressure, but he might have to do it without longtime coach Alberto Salazar. The American may not travel to the English capital as he remains mired in a prolonged doping investigation, according to Matt Lawton of the Daily Mail.

Speaking of pressure, Muir is facing her share as she bids to merit comparisons with Kelly Holmes and Paula Radcliffe.

They are comparisons she welcomes, per Ian Gordon of the Daily Express: "To be linked with just one of them, let alone two, is very humbling for me. Hopefully I can get to the point where they were at during my career."

Still just 24, Muir has already proved she has the stamina and talent to keep on winning big races. She is the British record holder in the 1,500 and took gold in the same event at the European Indoor Championships earlier this year. She also added the 3,000 gold during the same event.

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This tournament gives her the ideal chance to cement her place as a rising star.

Of course, Bolt and Farah don't need to do anything else to build their reputations. Their standings are already set, but they can at least end two of the sport's most illustrious careers on a high note.