New discus world champion Dani Samuels will headline a four-strong Australian contingent at this weekend's World Athletics Final in Greece.

The annual end-of-season event in Thessaloniki gives the most consistent performers of the year the chance for one last big payday, with $US30,000 ($A34,800) on offer to the winners of each event.

Samuels, who pocketed her biggest-ever cheque of $US60,000 ($A69,600) for winning the world title in Berlin last month, will be up against a strong field including world championships runner-up Yarelis Barrios of Cuba and reigning Olympic champ Stephanie Brown Trafton from the US.

Australian long jumper Fabrice Lapierre - who was fourth in Berlin - will be chasing a second straight World Athletics Final title in Thessaloniki.

Javelin thrower Kimberley Mickle and 400m runner Sean Wroe were also rewarded for consistent seasons with berths in the two-day event.

But rising long jump star Mitchell Watt, who claimed the bronze medal in Berlin, has decided the World Athletics Final is one event too many at the end of a gruelling season.

"It's been his first European season, he started off pretty early and got what he set out to do," said Australian head coach Eric Hollingsworth.

"(His coach Gary Bourne) made the call on Mitchell after reading the signs with his body.

"It would have been another long flight back to Europe and they felt it was a bit risky to do that for the one meet.

"It's a sensible decision and a credit to Gary and Mitchell that they're putting Australia first."

Olympic and world pole vault champion Steve Hooker (thigh) and Beijing 100m hurdles silver medallist Sally McLellan (back) ruled themselves out of the World Athletics Final.

Hollingsworth likened the qualification standard to tennis's ATP and WTA rankings.

"This event highlights the most consistent athletes over the year," he said. "For me it's a good measure of the repeat-ability that I'm looking for in our athletes.

"The best athletes are those who sustain that level of performance over a long period of time."

Jamaican sprint sensation Usain Bolt will only run the 200m in Thessaloniki, leaving countryman Asafa Powell and American Tyson Gay to fight over the spoils in the 100m.

Other big names on show include US world 400m champions LaShawn Merritt and Sanya Richards, while Ethiopian distance king Kenenisa Bekele has qualified for both the 3,000m and 5,000m.

John Salvado
AAP