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Fully recovered from the groin injury which cruelled his London Olympic campaign, Jamaican sprint great Asafa Powell is ready to make history at the Stawell Gift.
The former 100m world record holder is arguably the biggest name to grace the famous handicap race in its 131-year history.
He will start from the scratch mark, one metre behind Australia’s best sprinter Josh Ross – himself a two-time Gift winner and one of only two men to have won the race off scratch.
Despite having broken the 10-second mark for 100m more times than any other runner in history, the luckless Powell has consistently come up short in the big international finals.
It happened again last year in London, when a groin which had been troubling him throughout the Games gave way in the 100m final, as countryman Usain Bolt went on to successfully defend his Olympic crown.
“I’ve been working very hard after London,” the 30-year-old Powell said on Wednesday.
“I went into recovery and then started training in October.
“I’m in good shape, if not the best yet because I’m still in background training and I haven’t really started speed training.
“I’m strong right now and very excited to see what I can do on the track.
“If I wasn’t in good shape, I don’t think my coach would have allowed me to come here.”
Powell was encouraged to compete in Stawell by countryman Michael Frater, who was unlucky to be eliminated in the semi-finals last year.
The grass track at Central Park holds no fear for the Jamaicans, who train on the surface every year at home.
Ross, 32, has dominated the sprints in the Australian domestic season and is bursting with self-belief ahead of his return to the Gift – an event he won in 2003 and 2005.
“I’m light years ahead of where I was last year,” said the six-time Australian 100m champion.
“I think I’m ready to go fast and do some big things this season.
“I know what it takes (to win in Stawell). I know what has to be done.”
The Gift heats take place on Saturday with the semis and final on Easter Monday.