Gordon Williams, Contributor

World Championships 100m gold medalist Tyson Gay (left) with Jamaica's world 100m record holder Asafa Powell. - File

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania:

Top American sprinter Tyson Gay has no doubt that Asafa Powell will shrug off the disappointment of last year's World Championships and produce a strong 2008, especially at this summer's Olympic Games.

While Gay won the highly anticipated 100 metres final clash in Osaka, Japan, world record holder Powell finished third then admitted that he had panicked in the latter stages of the race, lost his form and with it the gold medal.

Yet the American, who is due to run at the Jamaica International Invitational (JII) on Saturday, said he does not expect Powell to carry any lingering effects of his World Championships defeat.

Bouncing back

"Easy," was Gay's response when asked how mentally difficult it will be for the Jamaican. "After the World Championships, when he ran 9.7 (seconds) then, that was a great confidence booster for him.

"So, I don't think he is thinking about those (World Championships) medals anymore. He's thinking about breaking the (world) record again and getting that Olympic (gold) medal. So, I think it will be real easy for him to bounce back."

Gay anchored the United States' Red team to a disappointing fourth place in the 4x100 metres 'USA vs the World' event won by Jamaica at the 114th Penn Relays here on Saturday. Meet organisers announced that Powell was injured and could not take part.

Bigger challenge

Yet despite the Jamaican's absence last weekend, Gay, who also won the 200 metres and was a member of the U.S. gold medal winning 4x100 metres relay team in Osaka, anticipates the Olympics will be a bigger challenge.

"I expect it to be a lot tougher," he said. "The competition will be a lot stiffer because the Olympics is every four years and everyone is taking this opportunity to try to complete their dream. So I think a lot of people will be working pretty hard."

Powell, Gay knows, will be among them. That's why the American is hoping to jump-start his season at this weekend's JII, where he will run the 200 metres.

He believes the meet will be a good test of his preparations so far, just like it was last year.

"Time-wise, I opened up with 19.97 (seconds) last year (in Kingston)," he said.

"Hopefully I'll open up around the same time and then I'll know my training is going in the right direction."

Treat for fans

Powell is not scheduled to run at the JII, but Gay admitted that his legacy is tied to the Jamaican, especially with Powell holding the world record and him possessing the World Championships medals.

Gay said he does not know if or when the two will face off prior to the Olympics as his schedule has not yet been completed.

He anticipated that if a clash does occur, it will be a treat for fans, Powell and himself.

But he also insisted that conditions must suit both sprinters.

"It would be great for the fans if we race," Gay explained. "A lot of people want to put quotes that we're ducking each other, things like that. But that's not the case. He wants to race me when he's 100 per cent and I want to race him when I'm 100 per cent."

Drug concern

Gay also said he is unconcerned about the current cloud over track and field regarding use of performance-enhancing drugs, especially with the trial of Jamaican-born Trevor Graham, who is accused of lying to U.S. government investigators probing the drug scandal, is set for next month.

One witness is reportedly willing to link about a dozen top athletes to the scandal, which has already brought down American Marion Jones, a former Olympic champion.

"I just stay focused on what I have to do and don't really worry about it or read about it," Gay said. "So I don't keep up with the trial and what's going on. I just answer the questions when they ask me in the media. Besides that, it doesn't bother me."

Gordon Williams is a Jamaican journalist based in the United States.