... Powell, Bolt say no battle over anchor role...set relay target of 36 seconds

World's fastest man Usain Bolt is not concerned with leg assignments on Jamaica's 4x100m relay team and has chosen instead to focus on the goal of getting the baton around in 36 seconds.

In terms of the 4x100m relay it is generally thought, well at least locally anyway, that the most important athlete should run on the final leg. Despite being an issue that has caused contention at other major championships, especially among the female athletes, Bolt, the double Olympic champion, insists he has no such issues.

"Over the years I have ran a couple of the legs," Bolt said.

"I ran the third leg in Beijing because that was the best place for me on the team so it all depends on what is needed from me and what's necessary because at the end of the day you want to win and to run as fast as possible," he added.

In Beijing Asafa Powell led Jamaica to a blistering 37.10 in Beijing along with Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Bolt, while Bolt was the anchor leg in Daegu, powering the team to 37.04 seconds with Yohan Blake, Carter and Frater on the other legs.

While it would seem silly that anyone apart from Bolt, the world record holder and one of the sport's biggest names would anchor the event, Powell also seems to have a legitimate claim. It isn't an official statistic but the former world's fastest man, Powell, is credited with running one of the fastest relay splits of all time, 8.70 seconds, at the Beijing Olympics. However, like Bolt, he believes that the focus should be on the team's overall performance rather than individual legs.

"Once I'm on the team, I am fine; first, second, third fourth leg, doesn't matter once I'm on that team I would be fine," Powell said.

The sprinter was also confident that the world record mark, where he missed out with a groin injury, could be lowered.

"We can definitely go lower than 37 seconds," said Powell with authority. "We are running against the clock, we are not focussing on anyone, we know we have the team to do something special."

"We have 36 seconds in mind but we have to get the stick around and once we get it around we can definitely break the record," Powell added.

With the pair expected to be joined by Blake and either Carter or Frater, and with a strong US team also in the hunt, many are expecting the Jamaicans to become the first team in history to break the 37-second barrier.

Jamaica has won the men's 4x100m at the last three major track and field championships; the Beijing Olympics, the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin and the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu.