A STRONG physique, natural speed and strong mentality.

These are the three main attributes that any top-class sprinter should have, according to national sprints and relay coach Muhamad Hosni Muhamad.

'You need be strong physically to power yourself out of the blocks for the first 30m,' he said. 'Then natural speed will take over between 30m and 70m.

'And your mental toughness will last you through the last 30m.'

And Hosni believes that Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell has all these attributes, and will triumph at the blue-riband event during the Olympics next month.

'While he may have panicked and lost to Tyson Gay at the World Championships last year, Powell has become much stronger this year,' added Hosni, who was one of South-east Asia's finest sprinters in the 90s. 'He is cool and the most technically sound among the three,' he added.

On the other hand, while Usain Bolt may be the current world's fastest man, Hosni feels that the 21-year-old Jamaican lacks the physique to do well consistently in the 100m event.

'Unlike Powell and Gay, Bolt wasn't under any pressure when he broke the record,' he said. 'But Bolt has the physique for running 200m, not 100m.

ENDURANCE

'Bolt is awkward when coming off the blocks because he is taller than the rest,' added Hosni of the 1.90m runner, whose coach has yet to decide if he would compete in the century sprint.

'It is much harder for him to crouch in the starting position and push off (with the same power as the others).

'However he will be strong in the last 30m because he will be very strong in terms of endurance and mental state because of his 200m background.'

The former national sprinter also feels that Tyson Gay would only be a dark horse among the three even if he recovers after crashing out, reportedly with a cramp, during the US Olympics track and field trials early this month.

'Gay is shorter than the other two, so he will be faster off the blocks, and because he is a fighter, he will also be very strong towards the end and chase the runners in front if he is trailing.'

That is provided that Gay is indeed suffering from a cramp as reported, and not a muscle pull. Hosni believes that Tyson would only have a '50-50' chance of being ready for the Olympics if he pulled a muscle.

But the 1.80m tall American has one advantage over his Jamaican rivals, according to Hosni.

'After crashing out of the 200m trials, Gay only has the 100m to concentrate on, while the other two have to concentrate on both 100m and 200m.'

And while Hosni backs Powell to win, he acknowledges that anything on the race day could affect a sprinter's mental preparation adversely.

'It could be the weather or something that fellow competitors say which may upset you, whether or not it is done deliberately or accidentally,' he said. 'Sometimes it could even be the officials, who might fault you for a false start when you feel that you have done nothing wrong.

'All these things can affect you mentally and make you lose your concentration.

'To win the 100m, you have to do a perfect run and it has to be a perfect day for you. Coaches and athletes always like to use this phrase - anything can happen on the race day.