It takes a lot of confidence; some might call it bravado, to believe that you will one day replace the legendary Michael Johnson as world 400m record holder. But confidence is something that 21- year- old Jeremy Wariner possesses in large measures.

"I don't know, it's hard to say, " the 2004 Olympic 400m champion responds, when asked how fast he may one day run. "It depends on how my training goes. If I break it I would love to go under 43 seconds one day. Right now it's hard to say."

"I mean, I wouldn't have to change anything. Coach ( Clyde) Hart has a way for me to run my race. And as long as I execute the way he wants me to, like I have been, it's more just getting a lot more strength towards the end of the race where I can pick it up a little more before I usually do, maybe give more effort at around 200m. Other than that there's not much different I want to do. I am executing my race the way I want to. Maybe go a little faster through my first 200m and kick a little earlier."

Sounds simple enough but Johnson's mark of 43.18 seconds has been unapproachable since he recorded it in Seville seven years ago. Wariner's personal best (43.93 seconds), meanwhile, was set in Helsinki last summer on the occasion of his emphatic World Championship victory. It is the closest anyone has come since Johnson ruled the event.

Mind you, Wariner is in no hurry. And he has a team behind him that includes the man who guided Johnson, Clyde Hart, the Baylor University coach and MJ himself, who serves as both mentor and agent to his protege. Despite winning the 2004 Olympic gold medal in the same year he won the NCAA title, with their help, Wariner remains committed and focused on his craft. There will be no resting upon his laurels he assures us.

"It's something I love to do. Running track and field is a great stress reliever for me. I put everything out of my mind and do what I am supposed to do on the track," he explains. "I enjoy doing what I do. That is really the motivation - I enjoy going out to the meets. Also the thing that is motivating me is that I would really love to get the 400m world record. It's not too far away from me to get. We have about four years to get it. I am already in the 43's and if I do everything correct I can do it."

Although he still attends classes at Baylor, where he is working on his Bachelor's degree in outdoor recreation, Wariner passed up his eligibility to turn professional. It is a decision that many top Americans have faced.

"After the Olympics I still had two years of eligibility left and if I hadn't gone professional this would be my last year at Baylor," he points out. "I decided to stay here with Coach Hart. I am going to stay here until he can't coach anymore then I would have to go someplace else. We felt it was the best thing for me to do at the time."

"I am still going to school here and still training here. The only thing that has really changed is who I am running for now."

Indeed, he has swapped the green and gold colours of the Baylor Bears for the infamous adidas three stripes. A business decision, obviously, but one that will allow him to continue training with his coach and training partner Darold Williamson for whom he has much respect. It was Williamson who handed him a rare defeat last outdoor season and who joined him on the American gold medal 4 x 400m relay teams in both Athens and Helsinki .

"We train together; he is my training partner and friend. We have been team mates since my freshman year in college," says Wariner. "We have helped each other out and we know each other's strengths and weaknesses. It is great having a great athlete like Darold as my training partner just knowing that he is an elite level like me."

"We know that both of us can win at any given time. We just go into each race worrying about what we need to do. If he beats me he beats me and I get ready for the next track meet. And if I beat him I beat him."

As for chasing Johnson's world record Wariner says he and the man have talked about it and Johnson has offered him support.

"Yes, he is really supportive and knows world records are meant to be broken," Wariner reveals. "He would love to have it for as long as he can but he also feels that I am one of the athletes that he would like to see break it, one being my agent and two we have the same coach and he just sees the potential in me. He knows I have a chance to break it, not right now but in the future. The way my training is going right now and the way it's been going in the past I am getting better each year."

The training has gone especially well this winter and to test his fitness level he agreed to run in a 4 x400m relay at the Tyson Invitational at Fayetteville , Arkansas , on February 6th. Both he and the coach were well pleased with the outcome.

Running anchor on a team that included Kerron Clement, Wallace Spearmon and Darold Williamson, Wariner flew to a 44.7 split on the indoor track.

"Right now we are just doing a lot of overdistance and mid distance to get my strength up," says Wariner. "We will work on a lot of speed work further on in the season. Right now I am pleased with the way I ran. I felt comfortable the whole race and there's a lot more improving we can do throughout the season."

A bit of a homebody, Wariner likes to keep to himself when he is not at the track or in the weight room. Play station and television help him unwind and he is also a volunteer coach at Baylor. Although he is an Olympic and World Champion life hasn't changed too much.

"It really hasn't changed," he says almost surprised at the question. "Track and field is not as big in the U.S. as it is in Europe. I go over to Europe and people recognise me going down the street. In the states the only time I get recognised is if I go to a track meet and they know that a track meet is going on. I will be recognised by real track fans but I am not being recognised much. I don't mind being recognised. People know who you are, they know about track and field, It's an honour to be recognised. They support their sport. That's good."

Without a World Championship or an Olympics to focus on this year, Wariner plans to run consistently fast. A serious world record attempt may be a few years away but this year will involve steps to take him closer to that level.

"Really, I would like to run a couple of more 200m's this year and get my speed work down," says Wariner. "A big goal for me is to p.r. again like I have in the past two years, I am already down in the 43's so that goal is maybe out of the question but really to stay focused the whole season and be consistent with my times. That will be a major goal."