Asafa Powell made the world 100 metres record his exclusive property last night in Rieti. The Jamaican, who could finish only third behind Tyson Gay at the World Championships in Osaka just a fortnight earlier, took three hundredths of a second from the mark which he shared with doping-discredited Justin Gatlin, with a time of 9.74 seconds.

Powell said he could go even quicker. He was blessed with a following wind of 1.7 metres per second (the maximum permitted for record purposes is two metres) but was easing off before the finish, for this was only a heat. In the final at the Italian town's Raul Guidobaldi stadium, he clocked 9.78. By then the wind had dropped completely, and registered zero.

"Today I proved to the world that Asafa is back," he said. "I ran easily in my heat. I made some mistakes in Osaka, but today I competed as I normally should do . . . I will not say that today was revenge after Osaka. There the expectations were too high. I thought too much about the world record, but I have done a lot of work in the last two weeks. I learned again to run from the start and be more relaxed.

"Today I could have run under 9.70 . . . If I'd had a more favourable wind in the final, I could have run faster."

Powell beat his compatriot Michael Frater (10.03) in the final, with Norwegian Jaysuma Saidy Ndure third in 10.10. In the record-breaking heat 90 minutes earlier Ndure was second (10.07), ahead of the 2003 world champion Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis (10.14).

"Me and my coach have been working to getting myself back to normal," said Powell. "The last 40 metres were very strong. I came here today and I executed properly, and did what I was supposed to do."

The previous record was 9.77, a time Powell had recorded three times: Athens in 2005, and Gateshead and Zurich last year. Justin Gatlin has also recorded 9.77, in Doha a year past in May, but he is facing an eight-year suspension for a doping offence, and his time will be expunged if he fails to overturn the verdict on appeal.

Two previous holders of the world mark, Canadian Ben Johnson and American Tim Montgomery, have had their world marks expunged for doping offences.

It was Montgomery's mark of 9.78 which Powell had originally beaten in 2005, but the American, partner of Marion Jones, had that time struck out when he was exposed by a World Anti- Doping Agency investigation.

Powell has now equalled or broken the world best four times, more than any athlete in history. Of the 14 times that 9.85 seconds have been beaten, Powell has done so most (six times, to three by the former world record-holder Maurice Greene). Of the 60 times that 9.90 has been bettered, Powell has done so 13 times, to 11 by Greene and eight by Ato Boldon. Newly-crowned world champion Tyson Gay has been under 9.90 five times, but the double World champion is more temperamentally strong.

Awesomely majestic though his performance was in the Italian town, which lies at an altitude of 1330 feet, the ability of the 24-year-old Powell in championships is more questionable.

Though he won Commonwealth 100m gold in Melbourne last year, he was a poor third in Osaka, quitting when Gay passed him, and surrendering silver to his second cousin, Derrick Atkins.

At the Paris World Champion-ships in 2003 he had the fastest heat time, but false-started out in the quarter finals. Then he could finish only fifth in the Olympics, yet went to Athens second fastest in the world.

The Rieti track is known to be quick. Six middle distance world records were set there.

The Jamaican, who trains in Italy for three months of each year, is compiling a record to challenge former world record holder Greene, most consistent man under 10 seconds, with 52 to 30 by Powell.

Both Gay and Powell are listed for the Brussels Golden League on Friday, but Wilfried Meert, the meeting director, is unsure yet whether they will go head-to-head.