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Asafa Powell

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Asafa Powell

Asafa Powell leading a heat at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan
Medal record
Representing  Jamaica
Men’s athletics
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Osaka 100 m
Silver medal – second place 2007 Osaka 4x100 m relay
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2006 Melbourne 100 m
Gold medal – first place 2006 Melbourne 4x100 m relay

Asafa Powell (born 23 November 1982) is a Jamaican sprinter. He held the world record in the 100 m between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds.

Career

Asafa Powell planned to be a mechanic before he took up running whilst studying in Kingston, Jamaica.[1][2] His elder brother Donovan was a 100 m semi-finalist in the 1999 World Championships.[3]

Powell first came to the attention of the athletics world at the 2003 World Championships when he suffered the ignominy of being 'the other athlete' disqualified for a false start in the quarter-final where Jon Drummond memorably refused to leave the track having suffered the same fate (both athletes moving less than 0.1 seconds after gun firing).

The following season, Powell did not perform to his usual standards for the 2004 Olympic 100 m in Athens, after clocking sub-10 seconds times a record-equaling nine times in a season. He placed fifth in the 100 m final, and subsequently pulled out of the 200 m final, for which he had already qualified earlier on.

The following year, he gained some consolation by breaking the 100 m world record, in Athens on June 14, 2005, setting a time of 9.77 s, beating American Tim Montgomery's 2002 record of 9.78 s (which was later annulled due to doping charges against Montgomery) by just one one-hundredth of a second. Coincidentally, Powell achieved the feat on the same track as Maurice Greene's 1999 world record of 9.79 s. Wind assistance for Powell was measured at 1.6 m/s, within the IAAF legal limit of 2.0 m/s.

Powell won the 2006 Commonwealth Games title easily after a drama-filled semi-final which saw two disqualifications, three false starts and Powell himself running into another competitor's lane while looking at the scoreboard (he was held not to have impeded the other runner).

Powell then equaled his world record time on June 11 2006 at Gateshead International Stadium with a time of 9.77 (+1.5 m/s). August 18, 2006, Powell ran the world record time of 9.77 (+1.0 m/s) for the third time in Zürich, Switzerland. Together with Jeremy Wariner (400 m) and Sanya Richards (400 m) he won his sixth out of six IAAF Golden League events (100 m) in the same season, which earned him a total of $250,000. On November 12 2006 he was awarded the title of 2006 Male World Athlete of the Year along with a check of $100,000.

Powell finished 3rd in the 2007 World Championship final in Osaka, Japan behind Tyson Gay, who won in a time of 9.85 seconds, and was Powell's biggest rival building up to the championships. Derrick Atkins, a reported second cousin of Powell's, came second in 9.91. Powell finished in a time of 9.96 seconds into a 0.5 m/s headwind after being passed by Gay and Atkins in the late stages of the race. Later, Powell did help to win a silver medal in the 4 × 100 m. Running the anchor leg of the Jamaican relay team, he came from fifth and nipped Great Britain at the line with a Jamaican national record of 37.89, while USA took the gold.

On September 9 2007, in the opening heats of the IAAF Rieti Grand Prix in Rieti, Italy, Powell ran a new world record time of 9.74 s (+1.7 m/s) in the 100 m, fulfilling the promise he had made earlier. He had said after his bronze medal in Osaka that he would break the record by the end of the year to make up for the disappointment of not becoming world champion.[4] Remarkably, Powell eased up in the final few metres of his record-setting race, indicating that he was saving his strength for a fast 100 m final at the same meet.[5] In the final, Powell ran 9.78 (0 m/s), the fastest 100 m ever when adjusted for wind assistance and altitude.[6]

On May 31 2008, fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt ran 9.72 seconds at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York City, taking the 100m world record from Powell after nearly three years.

Powell has run 100 m in under 10 seconds 40 times,[7] a record to date bettered only by Maurice Greene, who has run under 10 seconds 52 times.[8] Powell is one of only two men to have run legally under 9.80 seconds more than once, having done so five times (Usain Bolt being the other with two sub-9.80 performances). Powell is the only man to have run legally under 10.00 seconds 12 times in a single season. Powell is the only man to have run under 9.80 without any wind assistance (Riete, Italy 9.78 0m/s 09/09/2007) and that run remains the fastest ever 100m when corrected for wind and altitude [9]. Powell placed fifth in 100m olympic final in Beijing with at time of 9.91 seconds losing out on the medals yet again. His teamates Usain Bolt and Michael Frater also raced Usain Bolt smashing the world record and becoming the olympic champion and Michael Frater coming sixth just behind Powell.

Physical characteristics

  • Height: 190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
  • Weight: 88 kg (194 lb; 13 st 12 lb)

Personal bests

Distance Mark Date
60 m 6.56 s 2004
100 m 9.74 s 2007
200 m 19.90 s 2006
400 m 47.17 s 2007

Honours

60 m

Event Result City Date
10th world indoor 5th Semifinal Budapest 5 March 2004

100 m

Event Result City Date
5th Athletic Final IAAF 1st Final Stuttgart 22 September 2007
37th IAAF Rieti Grand Prix 1st 2nd Heat Rieti 9 September 2007
11th IAAF World Championships 3rd Final Osaka 26 August 2007
4th Athletic Final IAAF 1st Final Stuttgart 9 September 2006
2006 Commonwealth Games 1st Final Melbourne 20 March 2006
2nd Athletic Final IAAF 1st Final Monaco 18 September 2004
2004 Olympic Games 5th Final Athens 22 August 2004
1st Athletic Final IAAF 7th Final Monaco 13 September 2003
2008 Olympic Games 1st Final Beijing 16 August 2008

200 m

Event Result City Date
2nd Athletic Final IAAF 1st Final Monaco 20 September 2004
2004 Olympic Games 4th Semifinal Athens 25 August 2004

Sponsorship

In January 2006, Asafa was signed as a global brand spokesperson for Nutrilite, the world's leading brand of vitamin, mineral and dietary supplements, based on 2006 sales. Nutrilite products are sold through Amway corporation. [10]

See also

References

  1. ^ Powell listens to his coach and smashes 100 m world record
  2. ^ Meet the fastest man ever
  3. ^ Asafa Powell one stylish record holder.
  4. ^ Sports Illustrated News Article retrieved 9 September 2007
  5. ^ Asafa Powell Breaks World 100 m Record
  6. ^ Wind / Altitude correction in the 100 m sprint
  7. ^ List of sub-10 second runs
  8. ^ Brilliant Powell does it again after Osaka let-down
  9. ^ Wind / Altitude correction in the 100 m sprint
  10. ^ Amway and Nutrilite Athletes


Template:S-awards
Preceded by Jamaica Sportsman of the Year
2005-2008 		Succeeded by
Vacant
Preceded by Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Year
2006 		Succeeded by
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