Asafa Powell

From Jamaica Wiki

Powell is a Jamaican sprinter presently holding the world record for 100m sprint with time of 9.74s.

[edit] Career

Asafa Powell took up running while he was studying in Kingston (Jamaica). He was familiar with what running was as his brother Donovan was a runner himself, and a 100m semi finalist in 1999 World Championships. 2003 world championships made him popular of sort with his ‘false start’ along with Jon Drummond, who refused to leave the track. Moving before 0.1 sec after the firing of gun has was a blunder for both of them.

June 14, 2005 became his memorable day, when he broke the world record for 100m sprint with 9.77s at the same venue where Maurice Green has set his own record of 9.79s. It’s to be noted that Tim Montgomery’s 9.78 was annulled due to doping charges against him. This was after his failure to perform his best in 100m and pulling out from 200m in 2004 Olympics held in Athens. But with the breaking of world record he was back to his best and won the 2006 Commonwealth game title with ease. But this course was filled with as the semifinals saw two false starts, few disqualifications and Powell himself had breached another competitor’s tracks.

He kept leveling his record two times himself at the Gateshed International Stadium on June 11, 2006 and in the same year August 16, at Zurich, Switzerland. He won Six IAAF Golden League 100m events in the same season earning him sum of approx. $250000, not without the help of Saniya Richards and Jeremy Wariner.

2006 Male World athlete of the year was awarded to Asafa Powell, with a $100,000 cheque, for there was no match to his records in the year 2006. 2007 World Championship in Japan (Osaka) found him finish third. His most expected rival, Tyson Gay came first with a 9.85s sprint followed by reported cousin of Powell; Derrick Atkins finishing in 9.91 s. Powell was a few fractions late at 9.96 s. Nonetheless, he grabbed a silver medal for the 4 x 100m. He was the Jamaican Anchor leg and created a Jamaican national Record of 37.89s. It was the US that took home the gold.

Powell was truly athletic way when he better his 9.77 with a 9.74 s at IAAF Reiti Grand Prix in Italy. But this was even greater in the way he had spoken out his aim and achieved what he said. He had said that his failure to become World Champion will be compensated by him bettering his 100m record, after his bronze medal in Osaka. He had also seen to it that his fast 100m final would also see the best of him, as he finished in 9.78, a record in its own accord considering factors like wind assistance and altitude.

His consistency is shown of by the records he holds on to. Weighing 88kg and 6ft 3in tall, Powell is the only athlete to have legally run 100m in less than 9.80 s more than once.