• London Olympics 2012

Greene confident of breaking Akabusi's record

Dai Greene is targetting success against his American rivals this year © Getty Images

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British 400 metres hurdler Dai Greene is so confident he will surpass Kris Akabusi's 19-year British record in the event that he doesn't even consider it a target for his 2011 campaign.

Greene is coming off success at the European Championships and Commonwealth Games in 2010, and is looking to put down a marker against international opposition ahead of the World Championships in Daegu later this year.

Victory in the Continental Cup last August saw him take the scalp of American Bershawn Jackson - a medallist at the 2008 Olympics - and his winning time of 47.88sec was just 0.06 slower than Akabusi's long-standing mark. The Welshman believes his breaking of the 1984 Olympic silver medalist's record is a matter of when, not if.

"I know it sounds a bit strange, but in my mind I feel I've almost achieved it," Greene told the Daily Telegraph. "I feel I can do the time and I know I will be better than that record."

Greene's upturn in form has seen him tipped by many as one of Britain's brightest hopes for a gold at London 2012, behind perhaps only Jessica Ennis and Phillips Idowu. It is a pressure that doesn't faze the 25-year-old.

"Being tipped to win doesn't bother me in the slightest," he said. "I know that when you get to the top things are expected of you, but I've worked so hard to get here, I'm not going to shy away from it now.

"I'm happy to bear any burden of expectation because of the setbacks I've had in the past."

Brimming with confidence, especially after an injury-free winter of unaffected training, Greene is hoping to gain a psychological advantage over his likely rivals in 2012 - Jackson, Angelo Taylor and Kerron Clement - in competition this year.

"To get one up on my opponents, it would be good for them to recognise me and see me as a threat," he said. "If I can beat them early in the season, perhaps they'll be looking over their shoulders and looking out for me.

"In a game of hundredths and tenths of a second, I'll do anything I can to get ahead."

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