Justin Gatlin, the world's fastest man, is a conspicuous absentee from this indoor season. It's neither an injury nor illness that has him sidelined however. The World and Olympic champion has an ulterior motive. He's planning an assault on the world 100m record held by his rival Jamaica 's Asafa Powell of 9.77 seconds. "I am setting myself a goal of running a 9.75 or even lower," says the 23- year- old Raleigh , North Carolina resident unabashedly. "That's what I am working on now. I am sitting the indoor season out just so I can work on what I have got to work on to get better." "The 60m is a very different race from the 100m. You have to go back to the drawing board almost when you go outdoors from indoors. I just want to work on what I need to work on and be ready for the outdoor season. A lot of people will go out there just to run but you have to have a game plan. Basically, I am going to sit down with my coach and with my agent and we will pinpoint different meets I want to go to and go and run quality times." Without a World Championships or Olympic Games on which to focus this year, he feels it is perfect to choose competitions where he can run fast. And though he got the better of Powell on the two occasions they raced last year, he isn't taking anything for granted. "Everybody wants to see the rivalry start between me and Asafa," says Gatlin. "I think a lot of meet promoters are going to help bring that rivalry around. They want to see fast times. They want to see world records broken and I think it will be broken more than once." Gatlin, whose outgoing demeanour is in stark contrast to what many have become accustomed to from sprinters, realises his goal represents a full tenth of a second faster than his current personal best time of 9.85 seconds. He is confident, nonetheless, and with coach Trevor Graham whom he has worked with almost from the day he left the University of Tennessee sees the time as realistic. A year ago Gatlin achieved a rare 100m - 200m double at the IAAF World Championships in Helsinki to add to his Olympic gold. Despite the increase in hardware he remains committed to high performance rather than resting on his laurels. "I don't want to short-change my fans and myself, I know I am more talented than I have shown the world. I want to go out there and show my full potential. Once I have shown my full potential, regardless of my age, that's when I have been on top I don't want to leave before it's my time to leave and I don't want to stay too long." "Obviously I want to go back to the Olympics again. I have little goals that I want to do. Everybody feels you win the gold medal at the Olympics, and that the 100m is the best gold medal next to the mile. It's different things: I got a medal in the 100m. I want to go back and get a gold medal in the 200m at the Olympics. I want to back up my double World Championships. I want a world record, I want to win a relay, and it's these things that keep me going." It's the mention of winning a relay that brings on a laugh as he remembers the ill fated American team in Helsinki which dropped the baton. Clearly he enjoys the camaraderie of track and field. He and his training partners spend a lot of time together away from the track and the weight room, going to clubs and parties when they don't interfere with his training. He also has found another satisfying weekend pastime. "My thing right now is going paint ball shooting," he says laughing. "I go out there with Trevor's son. Obviously there are other people there playing, you make up teams, you make friends along the way but when you get out there it's every man for him. I try to do it every other weekend, every chance I can get. I don't want it to interfere with my practice but it's something I can do to blow off steam. You get to shoot at people without hurting anybody and blow off steam. It's fun. It's all about hiding and at the same time you are stalking. There is a lot of strategy involved." Gatlin was heavily influenced by sprinters who came before him - Carl Lewis, Leroy Burrell, Michael Johnson and Maurice Greene - to name a few. But, he reserves a special place for Greene. "I still look up at Maurice Greene regardless of him being a competitor," he admits. "I have met Leroy Burrell. When I was in college I met Mike Powell. These guys just embraced me with open arms. They treated me like I was already a champion before I was a champion, and I think that's what really helped me out so you can be more like them and walk in their footsteps and be in the league they are in." "I have watched a lot of sports throughout my life like football and basketball. You see guys on opposite teams giving each other high fives or a pat on the back. I am sitting there thinking 'this guy is trying to beat you.' I realised as I got older that everybody goes out there to have fun. We have a common goal to go out, make a good living, have fun and entertain. If it gets personal it gets personal. But besides that go out there and entertain and put on a good show for the people." After winning gold medals in Athens and Helsinki, Gatlin is somewhat of a celebrity in Raleigh . Often he is approached for autographs even signing a child's arm at the request of a mother. He always obliges even though he knows the ink will run off in five minutes. And he has also been iconized in the hip hop world. Rappers such as 50 Cent have mentioned him in their raps. "I do feel honoured because he has touched a lot of people," he reveals. "Youth is a target and when you have captured the minds of audiences then you can do whatever you want with them. I think with him saying my name and people understanding that I am able to capture their minds as well I can show them different things." This attitude comes across wherever he travels. As athletes go through the Mixed Zone at World Championships or Olympic Games some of his rivals are fairly curt with their responses to questions, that is if they even bother to stop for the Press. Gatlin often jokes with the volunteers who keep things moving, signing autographs when asked. Not surprisingly he is a popular figure in the sport. Success has brought financial security also. In 2002 he signed a multi- year Nike endorsement contract which has ensured he is not short of cash. In addition to appearing in print ads, he filmed a television commercial for the company this winter. Then of course there's the prize money and appearance fees that his agent Renaldo Nehemiah is able to negotiate around the world. As a present to himself following his Olympic victory, Gatlin purchased his dream car - a Porsche. "I have a truck and I have a Porsche," he admits. "I had the truck before the Olympics, when I went pro and it was a gift to me. The Porsche I got after the Olympics. I always wanted a Porsche since I was a little kid. Since I was 9 years old I had toy Porsches all over the house." He admits his celebrity has spared him the nuisance of speeding tickets on more than one occasion. Earlier this year, Gatlin also bought himself a house in Raleigh which he is busy furnishing. It marked a decision to remain in the city he has come to call home. It's where he feels comfortable and from where he intends to continue to set the world alight with his performances. Bring on the outdoor season!