Beset by an injured ankle for most of the season, World Championships bronze medallist Asafa Powell is getting better by the day as he prepares for his third World Championships in Berlin in three weeks' time, says Bruce James, president of the MVP track club.

Powell, who turns 27 in November, hurt his ankle in April and that slowed his preparation for the championships, but he has shown gradual improvement in recent weeks winning a couple of races on the European circuit and getting faster each time.

The 2006 Commonwealth Games champion has taken a back seat to triple Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt and defending world champion Tyson Gay so far this season, but would have experienced a major confidence boost following an impressive 9.88-second clocking for second place behind Tyson Gay (9.77) in Rome two weeks ago.

"He is improving daily," James says. The MVP president added that Powell's focus is entirely on doing his best at the World Championships come August. "Every race he runs, that's his focus," James reveals.

His improvement, James says, has been in all aspects of his training. Since the ankle injury, Powell has basically been running on one leg. This caused a breakdown in his usually picture-perfect sprinting technique and saw him drifting to the right whenever he raced. This flaw has been among several of the elements of his racing being worked on under the watchful eye of head coach Stephen Francis. "Literally, we are seeing improvement in all aspects of his preparation," James said.

The former world-record holder races next in London tomorrow at the Aviva London Grand Prix where he is expected to come up against Bolt and Yohan Blake, who became the third-fastest Jamaican ever following his season's best 9.93 seconds in horrible conditions in Paris last week. Gay, who is reportedly suffering from a sore groin, has opted to participate in the 200 metres.

Valuable practice

James believes the meet will provide Powell with valuable practice in running rounds as there will be two heats in the men's 100 metres before the finals.

"It will be great preparation for him," James said. He hoped that by the time the championships begin, Powell, who is famous for producing a personal best each season since he began his international career six years ago, will generate a season's best in Berlin and make Jamaica proud.

James leaves the island today to join the members of the team in London.