• London Olympics 2012

Americans expect to leave Greene trailing

Dai Greene is on a gold medal run © Getty Images

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World champion hurdler Dai Greene has been warned he will have to run the fastest time of his life if he is to win gold at London 2012.

Greene, the reigning European, Commonwealth and world champion, heads into this summer's Olympic Games as the favourite to win the 400m hurdles, following his impressive performance in Daegu towards the end of 2011.

However, the Welshman has angered his American rivals with some recent comments - he was quoted as calling them "overrated", although he insists that was taken out of contest - leading one, Bershawn Jackson, to warn that Greene had "written a cheque he can't cash".

Angelo Taylor, a two-time Olympic gold medal winner in the event, believes that will prove to be the case this summer - noting that Greene's winning time of 48.26 seconds in South Korea was slow by the event's usual standards.

"That was really funny," Taylor said of Jackson's comments. "Times are going to be much quicker this year than last. I know it will be a very fast race. 48.2sec or whatever he [Greene] ran, that was very slow to win a world championship.

"I've been to a few Olympic Games and 47-mid, 47-low, has always won the Olympic Games. This year it might take 46.

"We have pretty much dominated the 400m hurdles over the years. The US has been very dominant. Last year was a bad one, but we pretty much own the 400m hurdles.

"Last year was one of those years. I was injured, Bershawn was injured, Kerron Clement was injured. It's different in Olympic year."

British athletes seem to be causing their American rivals sleepless nights this year, with 400m runner Martyn Rooney pinpointed by LaShawn Merritt as a strong medal contender in London - despite failing to reach the final of the event at last year's World Championships.

Rooney is second fastest man in the world in the event to date in 2011.

"I was hoping there was a hole I could dive into," Rooney said of his Daegu struggles. "But doing rubbish is the best way to motivate yourself to never have that feeling again."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.