Bolt hopes to break that mark.

"It would be nice to get a diamond,'' he said.

Each athlete who sets a stadium record receives a one-carat diamond worth US$10,000.

Powell thinks he can improve his stadium record and get another diamond.

"I can definitely break that record tomorrow,'' he said. ''But he (Bolt) is very talented. He's the favourite. He's a cool person. We were friends even before the world record. So nothing has changed.''

Powell pulled out of a meet in Paris on Friday because of a groin cramp, but was able to train on Sunday.

"First, I was worried that it was something serious,'' he said. "I had some flashbacks because I've been injured before. But it wasn't serious (enough) from stopping me train.''

Bolt arrived on Saturday and had no complaints when he worked out for the first time.

"The weather was good,'' he said. ''I did some starts on another track.''

The start is something he is trying to improve.

''My start and my first 35 metres, if there are any improvements to make it's there,'' Bolt said.

Today's race will be only the sixth at 100 metres for the 21-year-old Bolt, whose coach Glen Mills,wanted him to focus on the 200 and 400 early in his career.

Bolt, who stands 6' 5" and is one of the tallest sprinters around, competed once before at Olympic Stadium.

"I ran in a relay two years ago, but this is my first individual race here,'' he said. ''The track is good. I'm looking forward to it.''

Others entered in the 100 include Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas, who finished second behind American Tyson Gay in last year's World Championships, and defending Olympic 200m, champion Shawn Crawford, of the United States.

Olympic and World Champion Jeremy Wariner of the United States, who earned a diamond when he broke the stadium record in the 400m last year, heads the field in the one-lap race.

Among other Olympic champions competing are Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia (women's pole vault) and Swedes Christian Olsson (men's triple jump), Stefan Holm (men's high jump) and Carolina Kluft (heptathlon).

Olsson is making a comeback after a long injury break. Kluft, who has quit the heptathlon, will compete in the long jump.