New Zealand athlete Nick Willis' fine performance in a mile race at today's Prefontaine Classic grand prix meeting in Eugene, Oregon, will have done his confidence a world of good as he builds up to the Olympics.

The 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medallist shaved more than two seconds off his best mile time, clocking three minutes 50.66 seconds and eclipsing his previous best of 3min 52.75sec set in Wanganui in 2006.