Bolt and Powell gear up for speed clash

KINGSTON (Reuters) - The two fastest men in the world will go head-to-head on Saturday when world record holder Usain Bolt runs against Asafa Powell in the Jamaican Olympic trails.

Bolt set the 100 meters record of 9.72 seconds in New York last month beating Powell's previous record of 9.74 set in September.

The pair have never faced off in a 100 meters race before.

Although a capacity 30,000-plus crowd is expected at the National Stadium, as Jamaicans lap-up the last chance to see their heroes on home soil before the Beijing Games in August, the pair have been keen to play down talk of a head-to-head.

"I will be running just to make sure I finish in the top three," Powell told local media before running in Friday's heats on Friday.

As expected both runners cruised through the heats without the slightest trouble, Bolt almost jogging over the line in 10.19 while Powell pushed himself more as he ran a 9.96.

"It was some practice. I feel good, it is coming on, not 100 percent, but coming on," said Powell.

Despite all the diplomatic talk, there is high anticipation of the race among fans and the local media with one columnist even going as far as to warn the pair against taking it too easy.

"I warn Bolt and Powell: please don't fool around come Saturday night because it might not get a fair reception when you cross the finish line," wrote Anthony Foster in the Jamaica Gleaner.

The top three sprinters in the national championships will make up the team for the Olympics and Jamaica's athletics chief, Howard Aris, said there was no worry about a rivalry between the two.

"Fortunately, Jamaica has a rich history of having two great Jamaican record holders competing. You can go back to 1948 with Arthur Wint and Herb McKenley, gold and silver in the 400 meters and then through the sixties and seventies," he said.

"We have always been able to get through this so-called rivalry without too much anxiety."

There will be plenty of interest in the women's sprint events with Veronica Campbell-Brown, the 200 meters Olympic champion, and 100 meters world champion up against a strong field of Kerron Stewart, Samantha Henry, Sherone Simpson, Simone Facey and Sherri-Ann Brooks.

(Editing by Martin Petty)