OSTRAVA, Czech Republic - Despite a gloomy weather forecast, Olympic 400 meter champion Jeremy Wariner remains optimistic for the possibilities of a strong performance at his European circuit debut tonight at the Golden Spike Super Grand Prix in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Organizers have hyped the race as an assault on one of the meet,s oldest records, a 44.70 performance set by Alberto Juantorena in 1976, just before the Cuban went on to capture the Olympic 400 and 800 meter titles.

"I,m really just going out there to work on my race," said Wariner, who arrived in this eastern Czech city as the world leader in his event after his 44.53 victory at the adidas Track Classic in Carson, Calif. 18 days ago. "If I run the way I should, hopefully I,ll be able to run below that. Even if the weather conditions are rainy and cold, I still think I can go under 45."

After a pair of early season losses to former teammate and current training partner Darold Williamson, Wariner said that his conditioning and race form are coming into place.

"I wasn,t really upset with the way I ran. I had two good races under my belt. [Darold] was more race conditioned than I was. Now I,m where I need to be. Me and Coach Hart both believe that my times are going to drop each week if I do exactly what he tells me to do. My goal now is just to keep working hard and to listen to what he says."

The Ostrava field includes Jamaican Davian Clarke and Talkmore Nyangani of Zimbabwe, both with sub-45 second clockings to their credit this season. Leslie Djhone of France, the only European to reach last year,s Olympic final, is also in the field.

"It looks like it,s going to be a great field," Wariner said. "A couple 44s already besides me so it,s going to be a fast race because I know they,re going to be after me. And I know I have to just run my own race and can,t let anybody else get to me."

After Ostrava, Wariner will contest a 300 meter race in Lille, France on Sunday before returning to his base in Waco, Tex., to prepare for what is shaping up to be a grueling U.S. national championship where spots for August,s world championships in Helsinki will be decided.

"I think it,s going to take a low 44," Wariner predicted. "A couple of us are going to go 43, I know that. Nothing above 44.4 or 44.5."

With the quality and depth exhibited in the event thus far this season, Wariner said that an assault on the 4x400 world record of 2:54.20 set by an American quartet in 1998.

"It,s a possibility. Last year we had a chance," he said, referring to the gold medal winning squad in Athens that clocked 2:55.91, the fourth fastest performance ever. "We didn,t realize what we were going to run, but we knew we,d run a good time. With the field we have this year in the U.S., if we run it right, it should be broken."

Wariner said he feels the weight that the title of Olympic champion puts on his shoulders, but spends little time thinking of his achievements last year in Athens.

"It means a lot, just knowing that people are looking up to me," he said, adding that he,s using that pressure to his advantage. "I,m going out there knowing that people are after me. So I just know that I have to step it up and do what I have to do or else someone,s going to get me and it,ll be done. So I just have go out hard each week, and can,t look back."