Tuesday, August 07, 2007 - 04:03 PM

World record-holder ready to blast-off

World 100-meter record-holder Asafa Powell expects another fast race at Olympic Stadium when he returns to the DN Galan meet on Tuesday.


"This is the last one before the world championships and I want to find out in what shape I am right now," Powell said on the eve of the meet. "I think I'm in great shape."


Powell, who won the 100 in 9.86 seconds last year for a stadium record which gave him a 1-carat diamond, has not competed since winning the Golden League meet in Rome on July 13 because of a groin strain.


In Rome, Powell clocked 9.90 after easing up near the finish.


"Due to the injury I had to take it easy and skip a few meets," Powell said. "But I've been training well for the past couple of weeks. Things are looking very well.


"I want to run as comfortably as possible and finish the race. Any time below 9.86 would be good."


That would mean another 1-carat diamond for the Jamaican ahead of the world championships which start Aug. 25 in Osaka, Japan.


"I need to win the (gold medal) at world championships and the Olympics along with my world record to be recognized as one of the greatest athletes ever," Powell said.


The conditions are expected to be perfect for Tuesday's meet in Stockholm with sunny skies and hot weather.


"(A world record) is possible," said Powell, who holds the record with 9.77. "Anything is possible. It's a great atmosphere, the crowd is fantastic and the track is very good. It's a fairly new track and it's good to run fast on. So it's possible."


As many as 83 world records — far more than any other venue — have been set at Olympic Stadium since 1912, when the Summer Olympics were held in the Swedish capital.


Powell will face a strong field. Five of the 19 fastest men this year, including young star Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas, will challenge the world's fastest man.


Olympic and world 400-meter champion Jeremy Wariner, who set a stadium record of 44.02 last year, also hopes to pick up another diamond.


"I gave it (the diamond) to my mom last year," said the American, whose world leading time this year also is 44.02.


"I could go under 44. My training has been real well. I had a great race in London."


Wariner won that race last Friday in 44.05.


Others competing at Olympic Stadium include Sanya Richards of the United States, who is doubling in the 100 and 400 meters, Olympic and world heptathlon champion Carolina Kluft of Sweden, who is competing in the long jump, and Ethiopian distance stars Kenenisa Bekele and Meseret Defar.


Sprinter Tyson Gay of the United States and Olympic and world triple jump champion Christian Olsson of Sweden withdrew because of injuries.