Steve Mullings runs during the 200 metres heats at the World Championships in Berlin yesterday. - Oliver Wright/Staff Photographer

BERLIN, Germany:

Steve Mullings couldn't be in a more perfect place right now. He's bounced back from a two-year ban for testing positive for an illegal substance in 2004 at Jamaica's national trials, which cost him a place at the Olympic Games in Athens. He's 'regrouped' from injuries.

Mullings has managed to shine despite the enormous shadow cast by teammate Usain Bolt at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics (WCA) here, and could even cash in on the absence of training partner Tyson Gay when he tries for a medal in today's final of the 200 metres at the Olympic Stadium.

Even so, Mullings is not ready to label the biggest race of his 26 years a shot at redemption. He's not here to prove anything, he claims. The bumps in the road for the St Elizabeth native are being viewed simply as part of a journey to the spot he always planned to be. And he has arrived.

"I come here looking forward for this," Mullings said after finishing second in his semi-final yesterday. "My coaches they go, they set it up to be in top two, to be in the final to get a good lane."

So he's left the past behind, just like he did nearly all his rivals in the half-lap event between Tuesday and yesterday, making steady headway through the rounds.

Medal chances

Mullings won his first heat in 20.62 seconds, trimmed that to 20.23 in winning the second round, before trailing American Wallace Spearmon home in the semi-final in 20.26.

He's drawn in lane three for today's showdown. And, although he won't dwell on it, his medal chances got even rosier when defending WCA champion Gay who, like Mullings, is coached by American Lance Brauman in Florida, pulled out of the 200 with a lingering groin injury before the rounds began.

"You can't spread yourself on one person," he said of Gay. "You've got to focus and train and get ready to where you don't care who drops out or whatever happens. You've got to be ready to race anybody that's here."

Only Bolt, Spearmon and Panamanian Alonso Edward have run faster than Mullings at the 2009 WCA. With everyone else in the field - and possibly the globe - conceding the gold to Bolt, the world record holder in the event with 19.30 at last year's Olympics, and with a personal best of 20.01 last month in Greece, Mullings figures he may just be able to squeeze himself on to the medal podium.

"Yeah, sure," he said without hesitation.

Expectations

Mullings expects an outstanding race from Bolt. He expects the Jamaican to win. But although the lane draw favours the former Mississippi State University sprinter, Mullings doesn't believe it really matters. To be in the final is the perfect reward for his roller-coaster journey.

"It's a great field," he said. "You can win from any lane. So whatever happens tomorrow just happens."

For Steve Mullings, he's already in the best place he could possibly be.