Her incredible achievement is to have been a world beater over all distances.

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Gas turbines, steam turbines, nuclear power plants, high-speed trains, these are the areas he believes Hitachi can still be a world beater, especially in the developing world.

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How did a family firm in a rural area best known for producing fine wines like Barolo become a world-beater?

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Petrobras became a world-beater in offshore drilling only after two-fifths of its shares were floated on the stock exchange and it began to act more like a private company.

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The English take so many team sports seriously that they do not have the time, the resources or the single-mindedness to be a world-beater at any one of them.

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According to Mr Thomas, the reactor could be a world-beater in terms of capital costs, operating performance and running costs, and yet still be more expensive than new gas-fired plants.

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By that measure, China is no world-beater.

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