Stoke City's Jamaican striker, Ricardo Fuller, has backed sprint sensation Usain Bolt to smash another world record at the World Championships in Berlin.

Bolt, who holds the 100 and 200 metre world records, started his bid for the sprint double yesterday morning by winning his opening round 100 metres heat.

"Hopefully, Usain could break the record again. I'm betting on it," said Fuller.

"After the event (150 metres) in Manchester we were all in a nightclub where we had a party for him. He was being himself, dancing to every single song and sweating up the place.

"He's a good lad and hopefully he will do what he does best and break the record."

heavy favourites

The Berlin showpiece is expected to be highlighted by the showdown between Bolt, the double Olympic sprint champion, and American Tyson Gay, the defending double World champion.

Following his phenomenal, record-breaking exploits in Beijing last year, Bolt enters the World Championship as one of the heavy favourites but Gay, having recovered from the injury that hampered his Olympic bid, has already signalled his form with the fastest times this year in both sprint events.

Fuller, one of the key forwards at the West Midlands club, said Bolt was already a great athlete in his own right.

"He's a legend. He's done what many great athletes have tried to do before," the 29-year-old said. "You have to give him credit for that. And it is natural as well."