Bolt, Powell and Gay will be the favourites for the 100m in Beijing

Jamaican Usain Bolt became the second fastest man over 100 metres when he clocked 9.76 seconds in Kingston.

The time was just two hundredths of a second slower than the world record 9.74 set last year by Asafa Powell.

Bolt made a good start and left the field behind to come home ahead of American Darvis Patton in 10.08 and Antigua's Daniel Bailey in 10.12.

"I know that with a bit more work I can break the world record," the world 200m silver medallist, 21, said.

Fellow Jamaican Powell, who along with Tyson Gay will be Bolt's main rivals at the Beijing Olympics, missed the meeting with a chest injury.

The following wind of 1.8m per second for Bolt's run was inside the legal limit of 2.0m/sec.

606: DEBATE Tyson and Asafa must be worried because Bolt is just amazing winston99

Meanwhile, world 100 and 200m champion Gay ran a season's best 20.00secs to win in his first 200m race of the year.

Jamaican Kerron Stewart ran a season-leading 10.96secs to win the women's 100m, while American Bianca Knight ran 22.62 to win the women's 200m ahead of Jamaican Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, who recorded 22.93.

"This victory just confirms to me that no matter how old I am and who is in the field, I can beat them," 19-year-old Knight said.

Jamaican-born American Sanya Richards, the Olympic favourite, was impressive in recording a 400m time of 50.60secs, well ahead of Jamaica's world silver medallist Novlene Williams in 51.63.

In the Olympics, she is likely to face British athletes Christine Ohuruogu and Nicola Sanders, who took gold and silver in last year's World Championships.

Joanna Hayes took top spot in the women's 100m hurdles in 12.72ses ahead of Jamaica's Deloreen Ennis-London, while Antwon Hicks won the men's 110m hurdles in 13.21.