Although it is only the first time for Ashton Eaton to compete in the Olympic Games, the decathlon world record holder has already pinned his goal on the gold medal.

"I feel really good. I'm confident in my abilities. This is my first Olympic Games so it's a bit overwhelming seeing all the athletes from different countries. I'm ready for the track to start," said the 24-year-old American.

"I think because of what I did in Eugene, my chances are good but there's a lot of room for improvement."

Eaton became only the second decathlete to break the 9,000-point barrier, earning 9,039 points to set a new world record in the at the 2012 United States Olympic Trials last month in Eugene, Oregon.

"It was similar to falling out of a tree and hitting all of the branches all the way down, not that I've ever done that before," said Eaton.

When talking about his expectation in London Olympics, Eaton said he was confident to fight for the gold but a new world record might be unrealistic.

"I'm definitely not trying for a PB personal best. It's unrealistic to get a world record at the Olympic Games, I don't expect it," said Eaton. "The scheduling and size of the competition are factors I get affected by. The 12-hour days are not conducive to top performances but everybody will be on the same level. I think 9,000 (points) is possible as it's an elevated occasion."

Eaton has shown a solid form since the start of the season as he also renewed the heptathlon world indoor record with 6,645 points in the 2012 World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. But he will also try not to repeat his experience in Daegu worlds where he was also considered as top favorite but only finished second.

"I mentally broke myself down in Daegu so I learned a lot and I think I'll be ready this time, but I guess we'll see," Eaton added.