World Junior Bronze medallist Yohan Blake (centre) poses with IAAF Senior Vice-President Sergey Bubka and Sudan's Abubakar Kaki at the pre-WJC press conference in Bydgoszcz yesterday. (Photo: Dania Bogle)

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland - Yohan Blake will aim to lower his 100m national junior record 10.11 seconds when he takes the track at the 12th IAAF World Junior Championships which begins here today.

A visibly nervous Blake, who spoke to reporters at a pre-event press conference yesterday, said after a three-month down period due to injury, he was back to full fitness, training well, and ready to eclipse the mark he set at the Carifta Games in the Turks & Caicos last year where he bettered Raymond Stewart's 23-year-old record 10.19 seconds.

"I've seen the track, it feels fast...I've been down for three months, but now I'll be looking on lowering my personal best," the 2006 WJC 100m bronze medallist said.

Blake will be joined by national junior champion Dexter Lee in the first round of the 100m at the newly renovated Stadion Zdzislaw in this city.

Meanwhile, the St Jago High School athlete said he had been receiving words of motivation from former world record holder Asafa Powell, whom
he said talks to him on a regular basis.

"From the start Asafa has been talking to me...he told me anything is possible once you put your mind to it, so I'm definitely going for it (the record)," Blake told the Observer.

The Jamaican was one of five athletes who headlined the press conference, whom International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Communications Director, Nick Davies, said were the top five athletes at this year's Championships.

The others included Great Britain's 1,500m runner Stephanie Twell, pole vaulter Vicky Parnov of Australia, and world indoor 800m champion Abubakar Kaki.

Over 1,000 athletes from 183 countries will compete at the WJC from today to Sunday.