LONDON, UK - It says much for the huge excitement generated by the much anticipated rivalry between Olympic champion Justin Gatlin and World record holder Asafa Powell that, even without Maurice Greene and Mark Lewis-Francis, the 100m at tomorrow night's Norwich Union London Grand Prix is still the headline event of a meeting packed with top class talent.

In the women's programme of events, Yelena Isinbayeva will attempt to notch up the World record in the Pole Vault once more.

Gatlin versus Powell - grabbing an edge before Helsinki

In the men's 100m, Greene and Lewis-Francis have both withdrawn from this IAAF Super Grand Prix because of continuing problems with hamstring injuries picked up at their respective national championships. Gatlin, by contrast is in blooming health and revelling in his role as one of America's most exciting talents and one of the world's hottest properties.

At 22, he has already achieved what for many athletes is a lifetime's dream. But far from resting on his laurels he is genuinely thrilled at the prospect of resuming what many predict will be a long running battle with Powell for the right to be called the world's number one.

"It's always been a great competition out here," he said today [Thursday]. "It's a stepping stone to the World Championships for both of us and will be a great competition. I hope it will give me the edge before Helsinki."

Gatlin beat Powell by a whisker the last time they met, at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on 4 June. But unlike some of the previous generation, Gatlin doesn't feel the need to crow and strut. Clearly he has a healthy respect for his chief chellenger.

"We have a gentlemanly rivalry," he says. "On the track we mean business because only one can win. But off it there are no weird looks, or stares, or macho egos. We know we're at the forefront of sprinting right now and have great respect for each other."

"Asafa is a very worthy opponent and a great competitor. We're both trying to switch roles, he wants to be a champion and I'd like the World record."

"Don't you just love that? What a great story it is. We want to annihilate each other on the track but together we're trying to uplift track and field."

Gatlin hopes to emulate Greene in Helsinki by winning both the 100m and 200m world titles. But he knows his career won't be complete unless he can knock Powell off the top of the world record books. "I'm not obsessed by it," he says with a smile. "But I want to grab it, either this year or next. I'd like to take it to 9.75 so the next one who breaks it has to work even harder."

Of more immediate concern, however, is winning tomorrow night. And while Powell is clearly the number one threat, the field also includes World Champion Kim Collins and World Indoor 60m Champion Jason Gardener, not to mention 200m world champion John Capel who will replace Greene.

Post 2012 decision party atmosphere

Even without Greene, and two of Britain's headline acts, Kelly Holmes (Achilles) and Lewis-Francis, Alan Pascoe, director of meeting promoters FastTrack, is still claiming this as "one of the top three meetings in the world."

"We believe this is the best field assembled anywhere in the world so far," he says. "I think we can claim it's the best pre-World Championships meeting this year."

The proof will be in the performances, of course, although the Crystal Palace stadium is guaranteed to be an 18,000 sell out for the seventh year in succession. Pascoe has his fingers crossed for good weather, the predictions are 22 degrees and relative calm, although there's guaranteed to be a special atmosphere, partly because it's the first major athletics event in the city since London won the Olympic race. Celebrations will be slightly muted, however, as it's also the first sporting occasion since bombs hit Britain's capital less than 24 hours after the IOC's decision.

Wariner peaks to perfection

It's just possible that in 2012 Gatlin and his American teammate Jeremy Wariner could be gearing up for their third successive Olympic titles. After all, they're young enough. Wariner would only be 28, nearly five years younger than his mentor and agent Michael Johnson was when he won his second Olympic 400m crown in Sydney.

For now though the Texan has his sights set on the near future, starting with the latest battle against his training partner Darold Williamson on Friday. Despite his youth and relative inexperience, Wariner clearly has an ability to win when it matters most. He peaked perfectly for the Olympic Games last August, and did the same again in June when he won the US Championships ahead of Williamson, who had the better of him twice in early season contests.

Like Gatlin and Powell it^s a rivalry that brings out the best in both, he says. "He's a great training partner and competitor. He knows he's beaten me both this year and last. He knows my weaknesses, but I know his too. We help each other. We've got more competitive in training this year and that's going to help us both in the long run."

Wariner clearly feels he has the edge, however, especially when it comes to championships. "I run better with rounds because each one acts like a practice for the big race," he says. That was illustrated perfectly in Athens last August when Wariner took the Olympic title in 44.00. This year, he says, he aims to break into the magic 43s, and even has Johnson's 43.18 World record in his sights.

"I'm not going to force it," he says. "I'll just run my races and it'll come. It might even happen tomorrow because we have a great field and will push each other to the limit. But it's more likely at the World Championships."

That great field includes Andrew Rock, third in the US Champs, as well as Jamaica's Davian Clarke and Commonwealth champion Michael Blackwood. On many occasions it would be the stand out event of the night but almost every event in London boasts a world or Olympic champion, or one of this year's top performers.

Bolt heads high quality 200m

Take the men's 200m in which Capel will run against Asafa Powell's friend and training partner, the brilliant teenager Usain Bolt, plus this year^s fastest half lappers, Wallace Spearman and Tyson Gay, Europe's fastest man, Christian Malcolm, and his fellow Briton Marlon Devonish. Even without Olympic champion Shawn Crawford, who's withdrawn with continuing foot problems, this is a high quality field.

Bekele's 5000m

The 5000m features Olympic 10,000m champion Kenenisa Bekele and Australia's Criag Mottram who chased home Haile Gebrselassie so memorably on this track a year ago. Bekele proved he is close to his best form at the Golden League meeting in Paris three weeks ago when he just missed his own World record with a time of 12:40.18, the fourth fastest ever. If he's in that sort of shape tomorrow there are few who'll stay with him.

A first glimpse of Clement

The 400m Hurdles will give British fans a first glimpse of Kerron Clement, the 18 year-old American who caused much excited chatter earlier this year when he broke Johnson's 11 year-old world indoor 400m record. Clement won the US championships in June with the fastest time recorded since 1998, 47.24.

He described that as 'a perfect race' and may have to produce something close to it again if he's to hold off the challenge of Bershawn Jackson and James Carter, second and third respectively in the US trials, not to mention Jamaica^s Olympic silver medallist Danny Macfarlane. Jackson has run the second fastest time in the world this year, 47.62, while Carter too is under 48.

Douglas set in the role of home star

Without Holmes, British hopes for a home victory will rest on triple jumper Nathan Douglas. The 22 year-old from Oxford has improved his personal best by nearly 70 centimetres this year and his winning leap of 17.64m at the UK championships two weeks ago makes him the third best jumper in the world so far.

No one else in the field has leapt that far this season, although World bronze medallist Leevan Sands of Bahamas and Germany's former World champion Charles Friedek will provide a stern test.

The other men's field events are also of the highest quality. Former three-time World champion John Godina and fellow American Adam Nelson, the Olympic silver medallist, head a shot put field that also includes South Africa's Janus Roberts and Britain's Carl Myerscough; while the High Jump features a strong pair of Russians, Vyacheslav Voronin and Yaroslav Rybakov, plus Poland's Grzegorz Sposob and Jamie Nieto of USA.

Campbell graces the 200m

The women's events are no less enticing. Indeed, the 200m line up would grace a world final, including the Olympic gold and silver medallists, Jamaica's Veronica Campbell and American Allyson Felix, plus the fourth finisher in Athens, Jamaican Aleen Bailey, and the US 100m champion MeLisa Barber.

The 400m is almost as good. Mexico's world champion Ana Guevara takes on USA's Sanya Richards, the fastest one lapper in the world this year, and her fellow American Monique Hennagan. There's also Jamaica's former Olympic silver medallist Lorraine Fenton.

And watch out for tiny Shericka Willilams. The 19-year-old Jamaican joined Asafa Powell's 'MVP' training group this year and under the guidance of Stephen Francis lowered her pb from 53.6 to 50.97 to win the national championships. According to manager Paul Doyle she weighs in at just 46kg and is nicknamed "Wire".

World champion Perdita Felicien heads the sprint hurdles field. The Canadian stands fourth in the world this year but will face a stiff challenge from a trio of double-barelled Jamaicans Lacena Golding- Clarke, Delloren Ennis-London and Brigitte Foster-Hylton, although the fastest in the field is USA's Anjanette Kirkland.

This event will also feature the fast-improving Briton Sarah Claxton, plus the Heptathlete Kelly Sotherton who's also competing in the Long Jump and Javelin on what will be a busy night for the Olympic bronze medallist.

Isinbayeva - another World record?

Last and no doubt far from least will be the women's Pole Vault. Yelena Isinbayeva set one of her nine outdoor World records here last year and could well add another thin slice to the pile tomorrow night. Rumours suggest she may pick this meeting to go for the iconic five metres. But don't bet on it. There is US$50,000 on offer for 4.96m.