July 01, 2007	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Sani 15, 1428

RALEIGH (North Carolina), June 30: New American sprint king Tyson Gay said on Friday he hoped to lower Jamaican Asafa Powell's 100 metres world record at next month's Sheffield grand prix meeting.

“If the weather conditions are right, I am going to give it my best,” Gay said during a teleconference.

“I ran on that track in '05 in the 200 and I ran 20.0...so it is a fast track...and I didn't even run full speed. So I really think so,” he added when asked if he thought he could break the world record.

Powell and American Justin Gatlin, who has since been suspended, share the record at 9.77 seconds.

Gay clocked 9.76 earlier this year but the race was slightly wind-assisted, costing him the world mark.

Now, after blazing times of 9.84 in the 100 and 19.62 in the 200 into slight headwinds at the US championships, he is ready to chase the 100 record again. His 200 time was second only to Michael Johnson's world record of 19.32.

Gay said a fourth-place finish in the 200 at the 2005 world championships had motivated him to become the world's best sprinter.

“I knew I was just as talented as those guys,” the 24-year-old former US collegiate sprint champion said.

“Ever since that race I just said to myself I'm going to work hard, learn about the sport and learn how to run my rounds and continue to get better.”

To do so, he has overcome one of the most unusual challenges an athlete might face.

His coach, Lance Brauman, is imprisoned on embezzlement, theft and mail fraud charges and they chat by mobile phone every week.

Gay has also visited Brauman in prison and continues to follow workouts Brauman designed before going to prison.

Before last weekend, Gay said he thought he was overshadowed by world record holder Powell, Olympic and world champion Gatlin and a group of talented US 200 runners.

Now, he said, with the exception of Powell, the world is chasing him.—Reuters