Ljubljana: Jamaican Asafa Powell, the fastest man in the world over 100 metres this year, plans an assault on Tim Montgomery’s world record some time soon.

“I’m strong enough and I’m confident about it,” Powell said in an interview. “Yeah, it’s coming.”

Powell’s confidence has solid foundations. Racing in cool and rainy conditions last Thursday, he clocked 9.85 seconds in Ostrava, second only to his 9.84 in Kingston last month.

Only Montgomery, who clocked 9.78 seconds in the 2002 Paris Grand Prix final, and former world record holder Maurice Greene, have ever run faster.

“I’m surprised that the time was so fast because the weather was so bad,” Powell said.

“I never knew it was going to be that fast.”

He added that in better conditions, “Maybe, I could have broken the world record.”

Powell, 22, whose next race is scheduled for Athens on Tuesday, has displayed exceptional early season form.

In Kingston, he equalled Canadians Donovan Bailey and Bruny Surin as the third fastest men ever. Easing to the finish line in that race, Powell said, may have cost him the world record.

“In the last 15 metres I eased up,” he said, estimating that he could have reached the finish in 9.75 or 9.76. “Yeah, for sure that cost me the world record.”

Powell said he was not concerned after his only loss of the season, a narrow defeat by Olympic champion Justin Gatlin at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon on June 4 in which each was credited with a wind-aided 9.84.

It was only the second loss for Powell since the end of the 2003 season. The other was also inflicted by Gatlin, who won last year’s Olympic title in 9.85 while Powell finished fifth in 9.94.

The Eugene race, Powell said, was cautious after he sustained a minor groin strain during a 200 metres in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

“I was 100 percent but I wasn’t going 100 percent, just feeling out the groin and feeling my strength.”

While many sprinters can be boastful and even arrogant, Powell retains a modest, laid back demeanour.

“I’ve always been taught to stay humble, and stay calm and relaxed,” he said. “I’m not the type to get caught up in the hype. I don’t want to ever change that.”

Powell will face Britain’s Olympic 4x100 metres relay gold medallists Jason Gardener and Mark Lewis-Francis in Athens, before returning to Jamaica to prepare for the national championships.

He will run at the Rome Golden Gala on July 8 but is still negotiating whether to compete in first of the season’s Golden League meetings in Paris seven days earlier.