Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

World 100m record holder Asafa Powell leads six Jamaicans into first-day action, as the 11th IAAF World Championships gets under way in Osaka, Japan, tonight (5:00 p.m. local time).

However, most, if not all eyes will be on the men's 100m race where some time during Sunday's second day, Powell is set to line up against American Tyson Gay.

The clash, if and when it happens is expected to be one of the biggest and most looked forward to in a while, and with the World Championship 100m title on the line neither athlete can afford to lose.

Both will be in search of their first significant medals, a fact which the Jamaican sprint star readily outlined in an interview with British Newspaper Daily Mail.

"To be considered one of the greatest athletes ever in the event I think I need to win the world and Olympic titles along with my world record," Powell said.

Dismissive of Gay

While hinting that he will be under pressure to produce, he was dismissive of Gay's superior form this season by stating: "I have run faster than him."

"I know I can do what I've got to do. I'm looking to win. No matter what time. I just want to cross the finish line first," said the world 100m record holder.

Powell, along with Gay, believes it may take a new world record mark to win the final come Sunday morning (8:20 a.m. Jamaica time).

Asked what it will take to win, he replied:

"Who knows .... probably 9.74 or 9.73. Maybe 9.70. I think it will happen this year," added the man who has struggled with groin injuries this season.

When the preliminary heats get under way, Powell is drawn in lane three of heat six, and he will have Trinidad & Tobago's Keston Bledman (10.14 SB), and Martial Mbandjock of France (10.16SB). Gay will run out of lane eight in heat one and will have former world champion Kim Collins of St. Kits and Nevis (10.27 SB) for company. Nesta Carter (10.11 SB) and Clement Campbell (10.10 SB) are the other Jamaican entries in the men's 100m. Campbell will run in heat five and Carter in heat seven.

In the women's 800m, Kenia Sinclair, who is in search for her first global outdoor medal, should advance easily from the first round, where only Russian Svetlana Cherkasova (1:58.67) should come close to the Jamaican. Sinclair's season best 1: 58.61 shows she will be a strong contender for a medal in the final.

Olympic silver medallist Danny McFarlane leads a trio of Jamaicans going into the first round of the men's 400m hurdles. McFarlane (48.52) will run out of lane four in heat three and should expect a very competitive race with American Kerron Clement having a season best of 47.80.

In heat four, Markino Buckley (49.24) will be hard-pressed to advance while Isa Phillips, who starts in lane four in heat five, should advance based on his personal and season best of 48.51. In heat three, Mardrea Hyman with a season best 9: 37.50, faces Russian Yekaterina Volkova (9:13.35), the second fastest in the world this season.

In the men's shot put, Dorian Scott with a personal best and national record 20.60 metres, faces world leader Joachim Olsen of Denmark (21.61m), and American Adam Nelson (21.47), the third-best thrower this season, in section one of the first round.

Milan Habor of Belarus, Anton Luboslavskiy of Russia (20.77m), Peter Sack of Germany (21.00m), Pavel Lyzhyn of Belarus (20.82m), Sultan Abdulmajeed Al-Habashi of South Africa (20.61m) and Tomasz Majewski of Poland (20.71m) are also strong competition, which means, Scott may be forced to break the National Record again, if he wishes to advance to the afternoon's final.

Usain Bolt, Veronica Campbell, along with others, will take the track during next week.