A Team USA press conference was held Wednesday in advance of the 2005 World Outdoor Track & Field Championships, August 6-14 in Helsinki, Finland. Athletes participating in the press conference included 2004 Olympic100m gold,4x100m relay silver and200m bronze medalist Justin Gatlin, 2004 Olympic men's long jump gold medalist Dwight Phillips, 2004 Olympic women's 200m silver medalist Allyson Felix and world indoor 400m record holder Kerron Clement, who owns the two- fastest times in the men's 400m hurdles this season.

Kerron Clement, 400m hurdles

Q: What's it like to come to your first Outdoor World Championships?

A: I'm very, very excited because this is my first one. I hope to do good things and hope there's more to come.

Q: What's been the difference for you this year that's made you so good and put you at the top of the world list?

A: I've been training hard, just staying focused and listening to my coach. Doing all my workouts and giving it everything I got.

Q: Are you amazed with what you have done so far since you are so young?

A: Not really. Once I had my steps together in the hurdles, I knew I could produce a fast time.

Q: Why did you choose the 400m hurdles and not the 400m dash?

A: The 400 hurdles is my specialty event. I came to college running the 400 hurdles. That's why I decided to do that event.

Q: Please give us the good point and the weak point of your race.

A: The good point is the first half of the 400 hurdles race, the first 200 to 300. As for the weak point, I'll say it's the final 100 because that's where the fatigue kicks in. You have to stay strong and be focused.

Dwight Phillips, long jump

Q: How are you feeling coming into the championships?

A: I'm feeling pretty good. I'm feeling very confident going into this championship. I feel like I'm the best jumper in the world. If anyone wants to win the championship, they have to go through me. I'm very excited about competing against my opponents. I'm looking forward to them bringing out the best in me. I'm just excited to be here to win my second world championships. I'm very excited about that.

Q: Last year when you jumped 8.60 meters didn't you hurt yourself?

A: I tried so hard to break the world record that I felt I banged myself up a little bit. It was nothing major. It was on the take off actually. In the air, I was trying to fight the rotation and I landed on my shoulder. I ate a little dirt. I think my pride was hurt more than me.

Q: You're a blunt character, but a very confident one. Where do you draw that confidence that you have in yourself?

A: I draw my confidence from winning, and from kicking my opponents' butts every time I compete against them. That really makes me feel good and gives me a lot of joy. That's why I train hard so I can win. It comes from working hard. I don't think anybody works as hard as me, or is more passionate than me about what I'm doing right now.

Justin Gatlin, 100, 200

Q: Could you talk about how you are feeling going into the competition in Helsinki this week?

A: I'm feeling very hungry. I want to add an Outdoor World Championship to my titles. I have a young career. I hope that it keeps continuing to be good for me, successful, and that I put on a great show for the audience.

Q: How disappointed are you that Asafa Powell had to withdraw from the 100 due to an injury?

A: I'm disappointed for the fact that I'm a true competitor and want to go up against the best of the best in the field. Track and field is the kind of sport where criticism is allowed. If I go out and win a World Championship, the first question will be "Well, Asafa Powell wasn't in the race. What would it have been if he was?" There're always going to be questions. May the best man go out there and win. At the Olympics last year, I proved to myself and the world that I was the best at the time and I'm still the best right now.

Q: What do you want the most, the world championship title or the fastest man in the world?

A: Right now, I think I'm going for the world championship title. The hardware, they can never take that away from you. You're always going to be the Olympic champion or the world champion of 2005. World records are meant to be broken. I want to go out there and hopefully have that under my belt as well. 9.75 is my goal and that's what I'm going for.

Q: Which is tougher, the 100 or the 200?

A: It's an even playing field going into the 100 for the fact we all start on the same day. As far as I know, I'm the only one that's going to be doubling especially, from America. Going into the 200, I think it will be a little harder because I'm going to meet people with fresher legs than me. I have to make sure that I strategize my races correctly and go out and run like a champion.

Q: Has Allyson (Felix) given you her secret to winning the 200?

A: Not yet. She hasn't given me her secret. She has to go out and win the gold then tell me her secret.

Q: What's your response to the IAAF not changing the false start rule?

A: I like it the way it is right now. If you have that rule and you are basically competing with computers to human error. Humans have the tendency to flinch. Humans have the tendency to be very overzealous and excited in the blocks, especially with all the testosterone building up inside of them. If they didn't have that rule, you wouldn't have as many spectacular races. You have to have room for error to make mistakes to be better the next time around.

Q: Someone at the IAAF Congress said, if that rule was introduced, the world record would never be broken again. Do you agree?

A: It would be harder to break for the fact that more patience would be involved in the race. You have to be a whole new athlete to bring that in. We know that the NCAAs and the professionals are totally different fields to each other.

Allyson Felix, 200 meters

Q: Could you please tell us about how your preparations have gone leading up to the championships?

A: I feel my preparations are going very well. I'm a lot more confident than I was last year. I feel that everything is really in place and where we want it right now. I'm really excited to come here and compete.

Q: Talk about your experience at the Olympics last year and how you're going to use that to prepare you for the championships here.

A: Just having competed in the Olympics last year, it was a great experience. I think I did get some confidence. I have a lot of knowledge about competing.

Q: Why not run the 100?

A: I have run it a little this year. I have to learn more about it. I have to be patient. I'm planning on running it more in the future.

Q: What about the 400?

A: I'm not necessarily in love with it. I ran it once this year. We have a 400-meter base strength. I run it a lot in practice.

Q: Talk about your relationship with Justin (Gatlin).

A: He's a good friend of mine. It's good to have him here, just for his support and in seeing him in the village to have someone to hang out with.

Q: Being two years out of high school, do you miss running the 200, 100, 400 and both relays?

A: I think at times you wish you could go back. It was a great experience. But I'm really enjoying what I'm doing now. I love competing against the best athletes in the world, and that's what I get to do.

Q: How's college going?

A: College is good. It's busy. I get back on the 27th and start school on the 29th. No real break, but I like college.