Newly crowned World 100m junior champion Jeneba Tarmoh admitted her interest is outside track & field, but takes part in the sport because she is good at it.

A day after winning the women's 100m in 11.37 seconds, Tarmoh disclosed she has little interest in the world of track & field.

Jordan fan

Tarmoh pays more attention to basketball and it was no surprise when she spoke of Michael Jordan, arguably the world's greatest ever player.

"I admires Michael Jordan, and he not even run track," she said with a smile.

She said she is like Jordan in some way. "He never won the first time, he didn't even make the team the very first time he tried out," the 18-year-old Tarmoh recalled.

"He had to practice, practice until he got better and now, look where he is at today, he even have his own shoe brand, his own business company.”

However, despite knowing very little about the sport, even what IAAF mean and who holds the World 100m women's record, Tarmoh said her love to run should take her to the very top.

Overcoming Beijing disappointment

"I do see myself winning at the Olympic, and World Championships one day," added Tarmoh, who predicts she will be running professional within five years.

She also believes she will break the World record of 10.49 held by American Florence Griffith-Joyner since 1988.

 "I see myself running in the 10's, because I definitely have a lot of room for improvement…it can be 10.9, 10.3, it can be 10-flat," she said with a smile.

Tarmoh, whose personal best is 11.21 seconds, done earlier this season, said her victory came as a big relief.

"The victory feels good. I wanted this gold medal," said Tarmoh, who was part of United States' sprint relay victory in Beijing 2006.

She ran the 200m in Beijing, but did not make the final, a failure she said motivated her to do better.

 "It made me a little more determined and motivated…it helped in everything," she added while saying. "I was not as prepared (in Beijing) as I did for this one"

"I prepared hard for this one, I went to practice every day and ate right for once," added the teenager whose parents are from West Africa.

Solid nerves

In Wednesday's final, Tarmoh, who held her nerve after a false start, got a lightening start on the second time of asking.

The 18-year-old led from start to finish. She had things under control from as early as the half way stage.

In the end, Tarmoh was a comfortable winner. She joined Ashley Owens (11.13 - 2004), Lauryn Williams (11.33 - 2002), Shakedia Jones (11.19 - 1998) and Sabrina Kelly (11.36 - 1994) as American World Junior champions.

"It feels pretty good, because a few years back I would not think I would be a World champion," added Tarmoh, who said she was literally forced to run in high school.

At Mount Pleasant High School, Tarmoh was a star, but on her arrival at University of Tennessee, she became a beating stick.

But after getting a lot of beaten, Tarmoh said:

"This motivated me to do better…run faster," said Tarmoh, who chose athletics over volleyball because it gives her opportunity to travel.

In her spare time, Tarmoh said: "I do everything that an average teenage does, reading, browsing the net, talking on the phone, partying and everything.

Anthony Foster for the IAAF