The jackpot hunt continues

Powell kicked off the hunt with a solid 9.98 seconds win at the Exxon Mobil Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway, on 2 June and looking at the line-up, though it's a talented group of sprinters, the world record holder shouldn't have any serious problem in adding win number two to his Golden League campaign.

The 23-year-old, who has been in great form since his return to the track, following a premature end to his season last year, will take on Kim Collins of St Kitts and Nevis, the 2003 World champion in the very same stadium, American Shawn Crawford, the Olympic 200m champion and Martinique-born French sprinter Ronald Pognon, the joint European 60m record holder in the dash and his goal is run fast from start to finish.

"My goal is simple: run fast, from the start to the finish line," Powell said at the meeting's press conference on Wednesday. "I'm in a good shape. I know anything can happen, anything is possible at this (Paris) meeting."

"I was a little bit tired after the Jamaican championships. So, I decided not to run in Athens, but to go directly in Italy for a training camp. But now, I’m fine.

"I cannot tell you when and where I'm gonna meet Justin Gatlin on the track. It seems he's avoiding me. I'm not. About the question, 'if I'm gonna get the World record just for myself', it's certain. I’ll do it," he added.

The field will also include reigning World Indoor 60m champion Leonard Scott, Powell's training partner and World Championships silver medallist Michael Frater of Jamaica as well as Trinidadian Mark Burns, who has a season's best of 10.04, Netherlands Antilles' Churandy Martina, who has also been in great form this season and Jamaica's former sprint double champion Dwight Thomas.

Ferguson McKenzie faces tough task to keep hunt alive

Debbie Ferguson McKenzie, who won this event in Oslo in 11.22, will have her hands full against two of the world's in-form sprinters, Jamaica's Sherone Simpson, the sprint double world-leader this season and Marion Jones of USA, who has been in great form since returning to track this season.

Ferguson McKenzie defeated Simpson in Oslo, but the Commonwealth Games 200m champion is a different sprinter these days and showed it with a sizzling world-leading and personal best 10.82 at the Jamaica National Championships last month.

Jones, a five-time Olympic champion is a rejuvenated sprinter, following a few minor setbacks to her career and her win over Jamaica's Olympic champion Veronica Campbell in the third race of her comeback at the New York Grand Prix on 4 June makes her one of the world's most dangerous female sprinters again.

The race will also feature ex-world champion Torri Edwards, World champion Lauryn Williams and reigning World Indoor 60m champion Me'Lisa Barber, of whom are all from the U.S.