Olympic silver medallist Ato Bolden says he is relishing being out of the spotlight ahead of the World Championships 100m.

The outspoken Bolden has always courted and enjoyed media attention.

But this year, with the talk all of Maurice Greene, Tim Montgomery and Dwain Chambers, he is enjoying the change.

"I think that's the perfect situation to be in," he says.

"Most people picked me way out of the medals in Sydney, but I have a ton of experience and I've never left a championship without taking home a medal.

"I have a lot of confidence in my ability to run well over four rounds. I've been doing it since I was 18 years old."

Bolden, whose best showing in a World 100m final was third in 1995, is determined to make a mockery of the criticism that he seldom produces his best runs at the big events.

"I want this pretty badly," he says. "To me this is right up there with the Olympics.

"You hear stories about the Worlds being anti-climatic - not to me it isn't.

"I'm feeling good. I had some good races in Europe, got sick but I've recovered and I�m ready to go."

He ran 9.88secs in Oslo earlier this season, a time that he could have ordinarily expected to make him the fastest man in the world.

He was beaten to the line by US champion Montgomery, who clocked 9.84secs.

Although the following wind was a just legal 2m/sec, the performance has clearly boosted the Trinidadian's confidence ahead of Saturday's heats.

"It wasn't a surprise to me," he says. "I know this year I'm capable of running a personal best. The question is whether I can hold it so that my best run is in the final.

"That's been my problem in the past. Here I want my best to come when it matters.

"My confidence is never a problem I could be last in 10.80secs or first in 9.90secs - I'll always go into every race I run knowing I have a very good chance to win."

Over every competitor in the 100m hangs world record-holder Greene's bull-shouldered shadow.

The reigning World and Olympic champion has not been beaten in a championship race for four years.

Bolden knows that he could run that PB and still not finish atop the winners' podium.

"Nothing is guaranteed in the 100m, but 9.85secs or better would certainly give me a better chance," he says.

"It would win most championships - but there's no guarantees when you have the likes of Maurice Greene and Tim Montgomery running. All you can do is run as fast as you ever have and hope that is good enough."

Bolden had words of encouragement for Dwain Chambers.

The two share the same sponsor and have become friends away from the track as well as rivals on it.

"I enjoy watching the younger guys," admitted Bolden.

"Dwain reminds me a lot of me at his age, with the exception that he hasn�t run as fast as me over 200m yet.

"It's not a coincidence that he broke my record of being the youngest ever World Championship medallist when he took bronze in 1999."

While the cocksure Bolden would never admit to being scared by anyone, he clearly respects the talents of the British number one.

"He's more consistent now," he says. "Before, his better races would be 10.01secs. Now, every time he steps on the track he seems to be running 10secs flat, and that's a sign that he has taken his sprinting to a whole new level."