Asafa Powell
Encyclopedia
Asafa Powell C.D
(born 23 November 1982) is a Jamaica
n sprinter
who specialises in the 100 metres
. He held the 100 m world record
between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively. Powell has consistently broken the 10-second barrier
in competition, with his personal best of 9.72 s being the fourth fastest time in the history of the event. As of July 2011, Powell has broken the ten-second barrier legally more times than anyone else – 80 times in total.
Powell competed in the 100 m at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2008 Beijing Olympics but failed to convert his success to the world stage, finishing fifth both times. However, in Beijing with the Jamaican team he won a gold medal and set the world and Olympic record in the 4 × 100 metres relay. At the 2007 Osaka World Championships he won a bronze and a silver medal in the 100 m and 4 x 100 m relay respectively and he has been successful at the Commonwealth Games
, winning two gold and one silver medal. At the 2009 World Championships
he won 100 m bronze and a relay gold. Powell has won five times at the IAAF World Athletics Final
and is the 100 m record holder for the event.
Powell also holds the record for the fastest 100 metres run to place third. In August 2009, he ran 9.84 seconds in the World Athletics Championships from Berlin, Germany.
Powell suffers from pre-race anxiety and has underperformed his abilities in some major races.
, Jamaica, Asafa Powell is the youngest of six sons of two ministers. His first name, Asafa has a Yoruba
origin. A past student of Ewarton Primary School and Charlemont High School, both in St. Catherine, Jamaica. Powell planned to be a mechanic before he took up running while studying in Kingston, Jamaica
. His eldest brother Donovan
, was a 60 m finalist in the 1999 World Indoor Championships
. Running runs in the family: His brothers clocked 9.5 seconds for the 100 m dash, his mother 11.4, and his father 10.2. Powell is a member of the MVP (Maximising Velocity and Power) Track & Field Club based at the University of Technology (U-Tech), Kingston, and has been coached by Stephen Francis since 2001.
, which lifts the leg for the next stride, has four times the normal cross-sectional area. His tendons are extremely hard: it takes 43 kg of muscular force to stretch the average man's thigh tendons 1 cm, 59 kg for Japanese champion sprinter Nobuharu Asahara
; but for Powell it takes 114 kg of muscle strength. These extremely hard tendons increase the amount of force that is elastically stored and then restored to momentum at each stride. However, the most impressive thing about his running is his technique and how he combines that with immense power every time he runs. His leg extension and clawing is great and his back-kick is very short and low.
in Manchester Powell finished fifth in the semi-finals of the 100 m event, setting a personal best of 10.26 s. Powell, along with Michael Frater
, Dwight Thomas
and Christopher Williams
formed the Jamaica
n 4×100 m relay team that went on to win a silver medal. Powell finished just behind Darren Campbell
in the last leg of the relay, with both men finishing in 38.62 s.
Powell came to attention within the world of athletics at the 2003 World Championships
, when he suffered the ignominy of being 'the other athlete' disqualified for a false start
in the quarter-final. This was when Jon Drummond
memorably refused to leave the track having suffered the same fate, both athletes moved less than 0.1 s after the gun had fired, with Powell's reactions being timed at 0.086 s. Six days later Powell was added to the 4×100 m relay team for the semi-final, running as the anchor
. He helped the team qualify for the final, recording the second fastest time. Powell never had a chance to run for a medal in the final as the second baton exchange was not executed cleanly and the Jamaican team failed to finish. During the 2003 season, Powell won two IAAF Grand Prix events, one of which was an AF Golden League event. He finished seventh in 10.23 s in the 100 m at the IAAF World Athletics Final.
after winning the Jamaican National Championships with a personal best time of 9.91 s. Although he ended the season with a record-equaling nine sub-10 second runs, Powell finished just fifth in the highly competitive Olympic final, with a time of 9.94 s. Following this he pulled out of the 200 m final, even though he had already qualified eighth for it earlier on. Powell did not get the chance to run for a medal in the 4x100 m relay, as the Jamaican team failed to qualify for the final, with a season best 38.71 fourth place finish in their heat. Following his Olympic disappointment Powell set a new national record of 9.87 s for the 100 m at the Memorial Van Damme in Bruxelles on 3 September. He recorded five IAAF Grand Prix wins in 2004. In addition, he became the first man to win both the 100 m and 200 m races at the World Athletics Final in championship record time. Powell was world ranked number one for the 100 m and number four for the 200 m at the end of the season.
in Athens on 14 June 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 0.01 s. Coincidentally, Powell achieved the feat on the same track as Maurice Greene
's 1999 world record run 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 again won the 100 m final at the Jamaican National Championships. A groin injury in July cut short his season and forced him to miss the World Championships. His season ended with just two IAAF Grand Prix event wins. Despite his shortened season, Powell had the three fastest 100 m times of the year, received the Caribbean And Central American (CAC) Male Athlete of the Year award, and ranked second in the world.
Powell then equaled his world record time on 11 June 2006, at Gateshead International Stadium
, with wind assistance measured at +1.5 m/s. The exact time was 9.7629 which was rounded up to 9.77 as per IAAF rules. On 18 August 2006, in Zürich
, Powell equaled it again for the second time, with wind assistance at +1.0 m/s. He won his sixth IAAF Golden League
event (in the 100 m) the same season, thus earning him a total of $250,000 in prize money. Powell also won the 100 m at the World Athletics Final, again setting a new championship record on 9 September. One week later at the World Cup in Athletics the Americas team anchored by Powell recorded a DNF. In October Powell again received the Caribbean And Central American (CAC) Male Athlete of the Year award. On 12 November 2006, he was awarded the title of 2006 Male IAAF World Athlete of the Year
along with a cheque for $100,000. He also received the honour of Track & Field Athlete of the Year
for 2006.
Sportsman of the Year award. Suffering from knee Tendinitis and missing weeks of training Powell missed competing at the Penn Relays
and the Jamaica International Invitational in May. Powell was again the Jamaican National Champion for the 100 m. Unfortunately, Powell again injured his groin while running the final at the Jamaica Championships. He only managed to finish third in the 100 m final at the 2007 World Championships
in Osaka
, Japan, behind Tyson Gay
, who was considered Powell's biggest rival building up to the Championships. Derrick Atkins
, Powell's second cousin, came second in 9.91 s. Powell himself finished in a time of 9.96 s (running in a 0.5 m/s headwind) after being passed by Gay and Atkins in the late stages of the race. Later he admitted that after seeing Gay pass him, he panicked and gave up, allowing Atkins to also overtake.
Former American sprinter Michael Johnson
was critical of Powell's performance, stating:
However Powell did help to win the silver medal in the 4×100 m relay race. Running the anchor leg for the Jamaican team, he came from fifth and passed Great Britain at the line to help record a Jamaican national record of 37.89 s. The United States meanwhile, took gold.
On 9 September 2007, in the opening heats of the IAAF Grand Prix in Rieti
, Italy, Powell ran a new world record time of 9.74 s (+1.7 m/s) in the 100 m, thus fulfilling the promise he had made earlier after his bronze medal in Osaka, that he would break the record by the end of the year. This was intended to make up for the disappointment of not becoming World Champion. Remarkably, Powell eased up in the final few metres of his record-setting run, indicating that he was saving his strength for the final. In the final itself, Powell finished in 9.78 s (0 m/s windspeed) and bettered his semi-final time, when adjusted for wind assistance.
Unfortunately, Powell ended his season on 30 September with a left hamstring injury, which came about while running in the lead of the 200 m race at the Super Track & Field meet in Yokohama, Japan.
Powell finished 2007 with a total of five IAAF Grand Prix event wins, plus his second consecutive World Athletic Final 100 m win, with yet another championship record.
For the third consecutive year Powell won the Caribbean And Central American (CAC) Male Athlete of the Year award. Powell closed the year receiving the IAAF Performance of the Year award, for his 9.74 s world record, and was ranked second in the world.
Powell was again injured in April, this time with damage to his pectoral muscles. The injury forced Powell out of competition for two months, and was sustained while weight training in Jamaica during mid-April. Surgery was required, and a visible scar was left on his right underarm.
On 31 May, fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt
ran a time of 9.72 s at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York City, breaking Powell's three-year dominance of the 100 m world record.
On 11 July, Powell suffered his third injury of 2008 while leading in Heat 1 of the Golden Gala Roma, eventually finishing fifth. He had injured his groin (described as a "strain" and a "cramp"), and was forced to miss the next two events on the Grand Prix schedule. Powell made his comeback at the DN Galan meet, where he beat the new World Record holder Bolt, in a close race. The meet's top performers were a Jamaican 1–2–3–4 with Nesta Carter and Michael Frater following the pair. This top four would later combine to run the 4×100 m relay at the Olympics.
Prior to the 2008 Olympics
in Beijing, Powell hit back at the claims saying he lacked the mental strength needed to win an Olympic gold medal.
Despite his words, the 100 m final
saw Powell again finish in a disappointing fifth, recording a time of 9.95 s. Teammates Bolt and Michael Frater
also raced in the final. Bolt won and broke the record he set months earlier (finishing in 9.69 s) and Frater came sixth, recording his first sub-10 clocking at 9.97 s.
Seven days later, Powell finally got his first Olympic medal as he anchored the Jamaican 4×100 m relay team to victory, helping establish a new world record in the process. His split time was recorded at 8.70 s (USATF High Performance Registered Split Analysis), bettering his previous record of 8.84 s set in Osaka, 2007. This is the fastest electronically timed anchor run in history, as Bob Hayes
was hand timed as running between 8.6–8.9 seconds in the 1964 Olympics
.
On 2 September 2008, Powell ran a new personal best in the 100 m by recording a time of 9.72 s, with windspeed measured at +0.2 m/s. He accomplished this feat at the Athletissima
Grand Prix in Lausanne
, Switzerland. After the run, Powell said that Bolt's record performance at the Olympics had inspired him to target a time of 9.59 s:
He was optimistic about his future chances on the track, and philosophical as to why he could not peak in past major championships:
Following his fifth place finish in Beijing on 16 August, Powell recorded seven consecutive 100 m races under 9.90 s, including two races under 9.80 s. In addition, 2008 was Powell's second-best season on the Grand Prix circuit, claiming seven victories, plus his third consecutive win (and fourth overall) in the 100 m at the World Athletics Final.
On his return to Jamaica, Powell was honoured in a homecoming celebration and received an Order of Distinction
(Commander Rank) in recognition
of his achievements at the Olympics. For the second consecutive year Powell ranked second in the world.
, winning his heat in 47.75 s, placing him second overall in the four heat time-final.
Powell ran the anchor leg for two relay teams at the Milo Western Relays held at the GC Foster College on 14 February. In his first race, his MVP team recorded a new meet record and world leading time of 38.72 s for the 4×100 m relay. Later he was timed at 46.27 for his leg of the 4×400 metres relay, again winning the race for his MVP team.
Powell next competed in the Sydney Track Classic in Australia on 28 February, again running the anchor leg in the 4x100 m relay and winning the event in a new world leading time of 38.62 s. Two hours later he ran a 400 m race, finishing fourth in a new personal best 45.94 s, shaving 1.23 seconds off his previous best time.
After the 400 m race he said:
Five days later Powell ran his first 100 m race of the season. Competing at the Melbourne Track Classic he ran a world leading 10.23 s, wind measuring −1.4 m/s on the coldest day of the year to date.
On 16 April Powell was nominated for the Laureus World Team of the Year award, as a member of the 2008 Jamaica Olympic Sprint Team.
Powell then found himself involved in controversy when he was a last-minute "no show" at the UTech Track and Field Classic on 18 April. It had previously been announced that Powell would run the 200 m and 4x100 m relay races. Powell attended the meet as a spectator. A press conference called three days later by the MVP Track Club did not fully answer questions as to why Powell did not compete. The matter was reported to the Jamaica Fair Trading Commission who announced on 23 April that they started investigations.
Powell was next to run at the Penn Relays
on 25 April but on the morning of the event the Jamaica Observer reported that he had withdrawn from the 4x100 m relay. His manager Paul Doyle stated that Powell would not run due to concerns with his ankle while running the curve on the Franklin Field
track. The Jamaica Observer cited a "highly placed source" when reporting that Powell had turned his ankle in training at Utech. Despite the report, Powell ran the anchor leg of the relay but aggravated the ankle injury, pulled up and finished ninth in 41.24
Scheduled to run at the IAAF Super Grand Prix in Doha
on 8 May, Powell withdrew from the event, citing the need for sufficient time for his injured ankle to properly heal. He finished seventh in his first event returning from injury, the Reebok Grand Prix
held in New York at Icahn Stadium
on 30 May. When interviewed he stated that his ankle was very weak but not painful. He finished second in his next event, the Prefontaine Classic
eight days later. On 27 June he qualified for the 100 m at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
with a second place finish in 9.97 s at the Jamaican national championships. At the Bislett Games
on 3 July Powell overcame a poor start to win the 100 m in a 10.07 s photo finish. Four days later he recorded the same time in winning the Athletissima 100 m. Although he improved his season's best to 9.88 he finished second to Tyson Gay at the Golden Gala Roma on 10 July. Powell next ran the 100 m at
the International Meeting of Athletics' Sports Solidarity, a charity event that encourages the participation of disabled athletes, finishing third.
At the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
, Powell took bronze in the finals of the 100 m meet with a time of 9.84 seconds, while compatriot Bolt broke his own world record by running 9.58 seconds. Eight days later, on 22 August, Powell helped Jamaica claim gold in the 4 x 100 m relay by running the anchor leg. The time of 37.31 seconds set was a new Championship Record for the event.
Powell next competed at the DKF Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway where he powered to a splendid victory with a wind-aided 9.72s. A week later, he competed at the Golden Gala in Rome, Italy, where he overcame a very poor reaction time at the start to take another victory in a World Leading time of 9.82 s.It was reported that Powell ended his six-year contract with leading sports brand, Nike, due to sponsorship problems and rumours spread that he has a new contract with fast upcoming Chinese sports brand, Li Ning (company)Li Ning. Asafa next competed in the 200 m of the Jamaican Senior Trials where he won the final in 19.97s, his second fastest ever. There, for the first time, he promoted his new Li Ning outfit. Powell next competed in Gateshead where he got off to a terrific start, but lost to fast finishing Tyson Gay, who took the victory in 9.94 s to Powell's 9.96 s in a strong 1.7 m/s headwind. Powell was not very disappointed as he mentioned that he got too relaxed, thus allowing Gay to outdo him in the final strides. The next race in Paris against Usain Bolt was a disappointing one. Although he had a good start, Bolt caught him at halfway point, and Asafa began to lose his fluent running form. He finished 2nd to Bolt in 9.91 s, 0.07 s slower than his rival, also into a slight headwind. Asafa said that he had a very bad race, which he hoped to improve in his upcoming races. Unfortunately for Powell, there was not a 'next race' for him. He picked up strains from his Paris meeting which aggravated to hamstring and back problems. Powell missed his next two outings where he was scheduled to clash against Bolt and Gay. Powell ended his splendid 2010 season on a disappointing note although he expressed satisfaction on the races that he competed for the year.
In the second meeting of the 2011 IAAF Diamond League at Shanghai Golden Grand Prix
, Powell won the 100m with a time of 9.95 seconds. Powell next ran at the IAAF Diamond League in Rome against Usain Bolt on 26 May. Powell had a superb start and mid but he faded towards the end, only to allow the world record holder to surpass him in the final 10–12 m of the race. Bolt won in 9.91 s and Powell came second in 9.93s. He said that he had lost focus, but is confident about beating Usain after what he had done that day. Powell next competed in the IAAF World Challenge in Rabat, Morocco, in a low key meet. There, after running the first 20m, he pulled up and finished last in 36.13 s, citing a precaution against a serious hamstring injury. Reports said that it was nothing serious and he would be ready for the Jamaican Trials later in the month. At the Jamaican Trials 23–24 July, Powell looked impressive as he qualified through the rounds. He posted a season best of 9.90s in his semi-final, despite easing off in the final 15m. Later, after overcoming a bad start, Powell won the final to be titled National Champion for the fifth time in his career. He won in a time of 10.08 s into a 1.8 m/s headwind. Yohan Blake and Steve Mullings were second and third respectively with 0.01 s separating them.
Next up for Powell was the Diamond League Athletissima in Lausanne on 30 June. In chilly conditions, not ideal for sprinting, the former world record holder bulleted out of his blocks and ran to the tape, recording a world-leading 9.78 s with a following wind of 1.0 m/s. Powell was indeed happy with his strong performance, his fastest in three years and was full of confidence about the rest of the season and the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea in late August. Next up for Powell was the IAAF Diamond League Meeting in Birmingham, England on 10 July. He became the first man in history to break the 10 seconds barrier in the Sir Alexander Stadium when he clocked a very easy looking 9.95 s in his heat. Later, in the final he eased to a 9.91s victory where compatriots Nesta Carter and Michael Frater finished second and third respectively. Powell was satisfied with both his races, stating that he took both the races easy due to very chilly and rainy conditions. Asafa seemed more and more confident heading into the World Championships in late August. Powell next competed on 30 July in Budapest at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He ran 9.90s in his heats and eased through the final to win in 9.86 s, having following winds of 1.8 m/s and 2.0 m/s respectively, in cold conditions.
Powell was next slated to run the Aviva London Grand Prix, however he pulled out, citing a groin strain. Later in late August, just a couple of days before the start of the World Championships in Daegu, Powell shocked the world by pulling out of the highly anticipated 100 m as his groin strain aggravated and did not allow him to compete. Powell expressed great disappoinment but vowed to come back strong for the London Olympics in 2012, but still hoped to run the 4x100 m relay in Daegu. However, he was unfit to run the relay and had to watch his compatriots win gold in a world record time of 37.04 s. Powell competed in the 100 m at the Diamond League Final in Zurich on 9 September. He looked very impressive in the first 60 m, but faded to second place as newly crowned world champion, Yohan Blake, took victory in 9.82 s. Powell registered a 9.95 s run, which was impressive given the fact that his injury was still present. By completing the race, the sprinter took the Samsung Diamond Trophy with $40,000 in cash. Powell ended his season with another injury, almost a repeat of year 2010, where he showed excellent form in the first half of the year, but unfortunately suffered injuries.
events, 14 coming in Golden League
events and 12 in IAAF Super Grand Prix
events.
In the seven year history of the IAAF World Athletics Final
(2003–2009), he won the most competitions of any male athlete and took home the most prize money in the male events. In his seven appearances at the competition, he won the 100 m four times and the 200 m once, winning US$173,000 in total.
In 2002 tragedy struck the Powell family when one of Asafa's brothers, Michael Powell, was shot dead in a taxi in New York. This emotional event happened the week of the Jamaica National Trials. In 2003, Asafa lost another brother during the week of the Jamaica National Championships. One year after the death of Michael, Vaughn Powell suffered a heart attack while playing a game of American Football. In April 2007 Corey Reid, an uncle of Powell, was stabbed in Waterloo, Ewarton
, St. Catherine. He later died in hospital.
Powell is known to be occasionally shy but nonetheless good natured and somewhat of a joker. He is good friends with compatriot, 100 and 200 metre world record holder Usain Bolt
The two are often seen joking around and do meet off the track.
Powell is known as an avid car enthusiast.
Order of distinction
The Order of Distinction in Jamaica is the fifth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament – The National Honours and Awards Act.The Motto of the Order is "Distinction Through Service"....
(born 23 November 1982) is a Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n sprinter
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
who specialises in the 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
. He held the 100 m world record
World records in athletics
World records in the sport of athletics are ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations. Athletics records comprise the best performances in the sports of track and field, road running and racewalking....
between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively. Powell has consistently broken the 10-second barrier
10-second barrier
The 10-second barrier is a term used in track and field athletics which refers to the physical and psychological barrier of completing the men's 100 metres sprint in under ten seconds...
in competition, with his personal best of 9.72 s being the fourth fastest time in the history of the event. As of July 2011, Powell has broken the ten-second barrier legally more times than anyone else – 80 times in total.
Powell competed in the 100 m at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2008 Beijing Olympics but failed to convert his success to the world stage, finishing fifth both times. However, in Beijing with the Jamaican team he won a gold medal and set the world and Olympic record in the 4 × 100 metres relay. At the 2007 Osaka World Championships he won a bronze and a silver medal in the 100 m and 4 x 100 m relay respectively and he has been successful at the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
, winning two gold and one silver medal. At the 2009 World Championships
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
he won 100 m bronze and a relay gold. Powell has won five times at the IAAF World Athletics Final
IAAF World Athletics Final
The IAAF World Athletics Final was an annual track and field competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was inaugurated in 2003 to replace the IAAF Grand Prix Final. The competition was part of the IAAF World Athletics Series and was the culmination of the...
and is the 100 m record holder for the event.
Powell also holds the record for the fastest 100 metres run to place third. In August 2009, he ran 9.84 seconds in the World Athletics Championships from Berlin, Germany.
Powell suffers from pre-race anxiety and has underperformed his abilities in some major races.
Biography and sprinting career
Born on 23 November 1982, in Spanish TownSpanish Town
Spanish Town is the capital and the largest town in the parish of St. Catherine in the county of Middlesex, Jamaica. It was the former Spanish and English capital of Jamaica from the 16th to the 19th century...
, Jamaica, Asafa Powell is the youngest of six sons of two ministers. His first name, Asafa has a Yoruba
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
origin. A past student of Ewarton Primary School and Charlemont High School, both in St. Catherine, Jamaica. Powell planned to be a mechanic before he took up running while studying in Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
. His eldest brother Donovan
Donovan Powell
Donovan Powell is a former sprinter who specialised in the 60 metres and 100 metres events. He is the brother of Asafa Powell, a former 100 m world record holder....
, was a 60 m finalist in the 1999 World Indoor Championships
1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 7th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held in the Green Dome Maebashi stadium in Maebashi, Japan from March 5 to March 7, 1999. It was the first time the Championships were staged outside Europe or North America. Primo Nebiolo, president of the IAAF, characterized the...
. Running runs in the family: His brothers clocked 9.5 seconds for the 100 m dash, his mother 11.4, and his father 10.2. Powell is a member of the MVP (Maximising Velocity and Power) Track & Field Club based at the University of Technology (U-Tech), Kingston, and has been coached by Stephen Francis since 2001.
Physiology and running style
Asafa Powell is 190 cm tall and weighs 88 kg. In spite of his height, he has an explosive start unusual for big runners. His long legs give him a mechanical advantage and his maximum stride length was recorded at 2.60 m. He is a mid-foot striker: he puts his much of his foot, foot on the ground for maximum friction to push off. This enables him to his turnover, or rate of stepping, is fast. His psoas major musclePsoas major muscle
-External links: - "Posterior Abdominal Wall: Muscles of the Posterior Abdominal Wall"* *...
, which lifts the leg for the next stride, has four times the normal cross-sectional area. His tendons are extremely hard: it takes 43 kg of muscular force to stretch the average man's thigh tendons 1 cm, 59 kg for Japanese champion sprinter Nobuharu Asahara
Nobuharu Asahara
is a Japanese former athlete who specialized in the 100 metres and long jump. He won the 100 m at the Japanese national championship on five occasions in 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2002, and he took part in the Olympics four times in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008...
; but for Powell it takes 114 kg of muscle strength. These extremely hard tendons increase the amount of force that is elastically stored and then restored to momentum at each stride. However, the most impressive thing about his running is his technique and how he combines that with immense power every time he runs. His leg extension and clawing is great and his back-kick is very short and low.
2000
Powell represented his school Charlemont High at the ISSA High School Championships. On 11 April he finished fourth in the Class 1 200 m, in 23.07 with a −1.7 m/s headwind. On 13 April, he finished third in his heat of the Boy's Class 1 100 m, recording 11.45 with a −2.3 m/s headwind. Neither time recorded in the heats was quick enough to advance him to the next round of competition.2001
Powell again represented Charlemont High at the ISSA High School Boy And Girls Championships, finishing seventh in the Class 1 100 m Final. Recognizing some talent, coach Stephen Francis started coaching Powell one week later. The coach looked for a way to give the tall teenager a faster start. After searching the island, Stephen Francis found a 100 m stretch of road with a 10% slope and trains his runners on that. Powell vindicated Francis by winning the Boys Under-20 100 m event in 10.50 seconds at the JAAA National Championships on 22 June.2002
At the 2002 Commonwealth Games2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
in Manchester Powell finished fifth in the semi-finals of the 100 m event, setting a personal best of 10.26 s. Powell, along with Michael Frater
Michael Frater
Michael Frater O.D is a sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres event. He won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships and a gold medal at the 2003 Pan American Games for the event....
, Dwight Thomas
Dwight Thomas
Dwight Thomas O.D is a Jamaican sprinter mainly competing in the 100 metres event and more recently the 110m hurdles....
and Christopher Williams
Christopher Williams (sprinter)
Christopher Williams is a Jamaican sprinter.Williams is best known for winning the silver medal in the 200m at the 2001 World Championships. In 2001 he was named Jamaica Sportsman of the Year. Williams has competed in the Olympic Games three times, in 2000, 2004 and 2008, reaching the semi-finals...
formed the Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n 4×100 m relay team that went on to win a silver medal. Powell finished just behind Darren Campbell
Darren Campbell
Darren Andrew Campbell MBE is a former English sprint athlete. He competed in the 100 metres and 200 metres, as well as the 4 × 100 metres relay...
in the last leg of the relay, with both men finishing in 38.62 s.
2003
Powell won the Jamaican 100 m National Championship.Powell came to attention within the world of athletics at the 2003 World Championships
2003 World Championships in Athletics
The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:...
, when he suffered the ignominy of being 'the other athlete' disqualified for a false start
False start
In sports, a false start is a movement by a participant before being signaled or otherwise permitted by the rules to start...
in the quarter-final. This was when Jon Drummond
Jon Drummond
Jonathan A. Drummond is an American athlete, winner of gold medal in 4x100 m relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics....
memorably refused to leave the track having suffered the same fate, both athletes moved less than 0.1 s after the gun had fired, with Powell's reactions being timed at 0.086 s. Six days later Powell was added to the 4×100 m relay team for the semi-final, running as the anchor
Relay race
During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...
. He helped the team qualify for the final, recording the second fastest time. Powell never had a chance to run for a medal in the final as the second baton exchange was not executed cleanly and the Jamaican team failed to finish. During the 2003 season, Powell won two IAAF Grand Prix events, one of which was an AF Golden League event. He finished seventh in 10.23 s in the 100 m at the IAAF World Athletics Final.
2004
On 12 June Powell recorded his first sub-10 100 m race time (9.99 s +1.8 m/s) while participating in the National Junior Track and Field Championships, held at the GC Foster College in Spanish Town. Two weeks later Powell became one of the favorites for a medal in the 100 m at the 2004 Athens Olympics2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
after winning the Jamaican National Championships with a personal best time of 9.91 s. Although he ended the season with a record-equaling nine sub-10 second runs, Powell finished just fifth in the highly competitive Olympic final, with a time of 9.94 s. Following this he pulled out of the 200 m final, even though he had already qualified eighth for it earlier on. Powell did not get the chance to run for a medal in the 4x100 m relay, as the Jamaican team failed to qualify for the final, with a season best 38.71 fourth place finish in their heat. Following his Olympic disappointment Powell set a new national record of 9.87 s for the 100 m at the Memorial Van Damme in Bruxelles on 3 September. He recorded five IAAF Grand Prix wins in 2004. In addition, he became the first man to win both the 100 m and 200 m races at the World Athletics Final in championship record time. Powell was world ranked number one for the 100 m and number four for the 200 m at the end of the season.
2005
Powell set a new national record of 9.84 at the Jamaica International Invitational in May. He gained some consolation for his Olympic performance by breaking the 100 m world recordWorld records in athletics
World records in the sport of athletics are ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations. Athletics records comprise the best performances in the sports of track and field, road running and racewalking....
in Athens on 14 June 2005, setting a time of 9.77 s, beating American Tim Montgomery
Tim Montgomery
Timothy Montgomery is a former American athlete. In 2005, he was stripped of his records – including a now void 100m world record of 9.78 seconds set in 2002 – after being found guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs...
's 2002 record of 9.78 s (which was later annulled due to doping charges against Montgomery) by just 0.01 s. Coincidentally, Powell achieved the feat on the same track as Maurice Greene
Maurice Greene (athlete)
Maurice Greene is a retired American track and field sprinter who specialized in the 100 meters and 200 meters. He is a former 100 m world record holder with a time of 9.79 seconds. During the height of his career he won four Olympic medals and was a five-time World Champion...
's 1999 world record run of 9.79 s. Wind assistance
Wind assistance
Wind assistance is a term in track and field, which refers to the wind level during a race or event as registered by a wind gauge. Wind is one of many forms of weather which can affect sport....
for Powell was measured at 1.6 m/s, within the IAAF legal limit of 2.0 m/s. Powell again won the 100 m final at the Jamaican National Championships. A groin injury in July cut short his season and forced him to miss the World Championships. His season ended with just two IAAF Grand Prix event wins. Despite his shortened season, Powell had the three fastest 100 m times of the year, received the Caribbean And Central American (CAC) Male Athlete of the Year award, and ranked second in the world.
2006
2006 was Powell's most successful season. He won the 2006 Commonwealth Games 100 metres race after a drama-filled semi-final which saw two disqualifications and three false starts. Powell himself ran into another competitor's lane while looking at the scoreboard, however he was held not to have impeded the runner. He also anchored the 4×100 m relay team, and finished the Commonwealth Games with two gold medals. In May he won the 100 m at the Jamaica International Invitational in 9.95. In addition to winning the 200 m at the Jamaican National Championships in June, he won ten 100 m IAAF Grand Prix events, including all six Golden League events.Powell then equaled his world record time on 11 June 2006, at Gateshead International Stadium
Gateshead International Stadium
Gateshead International Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. The stadium is primarily set up for athletics, with a running track, but it is home to Gateshead Thunder rugby league club, Gateshead Senators American Football and Gateshead FC. It has also held a...
, with wind assistance measured at +1.5 m/s. The exact time was 9.7629 which was rounded up to 9.77 as per IAAF rules. On 18 August 2006, in Zürich
Weltklasse Zürich
Weltklasse Zürich is an annual track and field meeting at the Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League. One of the first large-scale international athletics events , it is sometimes referred to as the one day...
, Powell equaled it again for the second time, with wind assistance at +1.0 m/s. He won his sixth IAAF Golden League
IAAF Golden League
The IAAF Golden League was an annual series of track and field meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations...
event (in the 100 m) the same season, thus earning him a total of $250,000 in prize money. Powell also won the 100 m at the World Athletics Final, again setting a new championship record on 9 September. One week later at the World Cup in Athletics the Americas team anchored by Powell recorded a DNF. In October Powell again received the Caribbean And Central American (CAC) Male Athlete of the Year award. On 12 November 2006, he was awarded the title of 2006 Male IAAF World Athlete of the Year
IAAF World Athlete of the Year
The IAAF Athlete of the Year award is a prize that can be won by athletes participating in events within the sport of athletics organised by the International Athletic Foundation of the International Association of Athletics Federations , including track and field, cross country running, road...
along with a cheque for $100,000. He also received the honour of Track & Field Athlete of the Year
Track & Field Athlete of the Year
The Track & Field Athlete of the Year award is given to track and field athletes by Track & Field News magazine. A panel of international track and field experts organized by the magazine selects the winners. The award has been given to men since 1959 and women since 1974.-Winners:-External links:*...
for 2006.
2007
On 5 January 2007, Powell received the Commonwealth Games Sports Foundation Athlete of the Year award. On 3 February he was honored at the International Sports Group (ISG) Awards Banquet, held in New York. In addition, Powell was nominated for the Laureus World Sports AwardsLaureus World Sports Awards
The Laureus World Sports Awards are awarded annually to sportspeople who have been outstanding during the previous year. The Laureus World Sports Awards were established in 1999 by Founding Patrons Daimler and Richemont and is supported by its Global Partners Mercedes-Benz, IWC Schaffhausen and...
Sportsman of the Year award. Suffering from knee Tendinitis and missing weeks of training Powell missed competing at the Penn Relays
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
and the Jamaica International Invitational in May. Powell was again the Jamaican National Champion for the 100 m. Unfortunately, Powell again injured his groin while running the final at the Jamaica Championships. He only managed to finish third in the 100 m final at the 2007 World Championships
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan, behind Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay is an American track and field sprinter. His primary events are the 100 meters and 200 meters. His personal bests establish him as the second fastest athlete in the 100 meters and the fifth fastest athlete in the history of the 200 meters, with times of 9.69 and...
, who was considered Powell's biggest rival building up to the Championships. Derrick Atkins
Derrick Atkins
Derrick Atkins is a Bahamian sprinter. Atkins specializes in the 100 metres event and also holds the national record, with a time of 9.91 seconds...
, Powell's second cousin, came second in 9.91 s. Powell himself finished in a time of 9.96 s (running in a 0.5 m/s headwind) after being passed by Gay and Atkins in the late stages of the race. Later he admitted that after seeing Gay pass him, he panicked and gave up, allowing Atkins to also overtake.
Former American sprinter Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson (athlete)
Michael Duane Johnson is a retired American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championship gold medals. Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m and 4 x 400 meters relay. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world...
was critical of Powell's performance, stating:
However Powell did help to win the silver medal in the 4×100 m relay race. Running the anchor leg for the Jamaican team, he came from fifth and passed Great Britain at the line to help record a Jamaican national record of 37.89 s. The United States meanwhile, took gold.
Rieti
Rieti is a city and comune in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of c. 47,700. It is the capital of province of Rieti.The town centre rests on a small hilltop, commanding a wide plain at the southern edge of an ancient lake. The area is now the fertile basin of the Velino River...
, Italy, Powell ran a new world record time of 9.74 s (+1.7 m/s) in the 100 m, thus fulfilling the promise he had made earlier after his bronze medal in Osaka, that he would break the record by the end of the year. This was intended to make up for the disappointment of not becoming World Champion. Remarkably, Powell eased up in the final few metres of his record-setting run, indicating that he was saving his strength for the final. In the final itself, Powell finished in 9.78 s (0 m/s windspeed) and bettered his semi-final time, when adjusted for wind assistance.
Unfortunately, Powell ended his season on 30 September with a left hamstring injury, which came about while running in the lead of the 200 m race at the Super Track & Field meet in Yokohama, Japan.
Powell finished 2007 with a total of five IAAF Grand Prix event wins, plus his second consecutive World Athletic Final 100 m win, with yet another championship record.
For the third consecutive year Powell won the Caribbean And Central American (CAC) Male Athlete of the Year award. Powell closed the year receiving the IAAF Performance of the Year award, for his 9.74 s world record, and was ranked second in the world.
2008
On 29 January 2008, Powell received the RJR Sports Foundation's 2007 Sportsman of the Year award. Powell's 2008 season started much as his 2007 season ended: with another injury. Powell was forced to pull out of the Sydney Grand Prix meeting, having suffered a gash to his left knee that required four stitches. The injury was a result of tripping on the steps of his home, hours before getting on the flight to Sydney on 12 February.Powell was again injured in April, this time with damage to his pectoral muscles. The injury forced Powell out of competition for two months, and was sustained while weight training in Jamaica during mid-April. Surgery was required, and a visible scar was left on his right underarm.
On 31 May, fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
ran a time of 9.72 s at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York City, breaking Powell's three-year dominance of the 100 m world record.
On 11 July, Powell suffered his third injury of 2008 while leading in Heat 1 of the Golden Gala Roma, eventually finishing fifth. He had injured his groin (described as a "strain" and a "cramp"), and was forced to miss the next two events on the Grand Prix schedule. Powell made his comeback at the DN Galan meet, where he beat the new World Record holder Bolt, in a close race. The meet's top performers were a Jamaican 1–2–3–4 with Nesta Carter and Michael Frater following the pair. This top four would later combine to run the 4×100 m relay at the Olympics.
Prior to the 2008 Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing, Powell hit back at the claims saying he lacked the mental strength needed to win an Olympic gold medal.
Despite his words, the 100 m final
Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metres
The following new world and Olympic records were set during this competition.-Qualification:Each National Olympic Committee was able to enter up to three entrants providing they had met the A standard in the qualifying period...
saw Powell again finish in a disappointing fifth, recording a time of 9.95 s. Teammates Bolt and Michael Frater
Michael Frater
Michael Frater O.D is a sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres event. He won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships and a gold medal at the 2003 Pan American Games for the event....
also raced in the final. Bolt won and broke the record he set months earlier (finishing in 9.69 s) and Frater came sixth, recording his first sub-10 clocking at 9.97 s.
Seven days later, Powell finally got his first Olympic medal as he anchored the Jamaican 4×100 m relay team to victory, helping establish a new world record in the process. His split time was recorded at 8.70 s (USATF High Performance Registered Split Analysis), bettering his previous record of 8.84 s set in Osaka, 2007. This is the fastest electronically timed anchor run in history, as Bob Hayes
Bob Hayes
Robert Lee "Bullet Bob" Hayes was an Olympic sprinter turned American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. An American track and field athlete, he was a two-sport stand-out in college in both track and football at Florida A&M University...
was hand timed as running between 8.6–8.9 seconds in the 1964 Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
.
On 2 September 2008, Powell ran a new personal best in the 100 m by recording a time of 9.72 s, with windspeed measured at +0.2 m/s. He accomplished this feat at the Athletissima
Athletissima
Athletissima is an annual athletics meeting at the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise in Lausanne, Switzerland. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.The first edition was held on 8 July 1977....
Grand Prix in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, Switzerland. After the run, Powell said that Bolt's record performance at the Olympics had inspired him to target a time of 9.59 s:
He was optimistic about his future chances on the track, and philosophical as to why he could not peak in past major championships:
Following his fifth place finish in Beijing on 16 August, Powell recorded seven consecutive 100 m races under 9.90 s, including two races under 9.80 s. In addition, 2008 was Powell's second-best season on the Grand Prix circuit, claiming seven victories, plus his third consecutive win (and fourth overall) in the 100 m at the World Athletics Final.
On his return to Jamaica, Powell was honoured in a homecoming celebration and received an Order of Distinction
Order of distinction
The Order of Distinction in Jamaica is the fifth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament – The National Honours and Awards Act.The Motto of the Order is "Distinction Through Service"....
(Commander Rank) in recognition
of his achievements at the Olympics. For the second consecutive year Powell ranked second in the world.
2009
Powell opened his season on 31 January at the Grace Jackson Invitational, held at Stadium East, Kingston, Jamaica. He ran the 400 metres400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
, winning his heat in 47.75 s, placing him second overall in the four heat time-final.
Powell ran the anchor leg for two relay teams at the Milo Western Relays held at the GC Foster College on 14 February. In his first race, his MVP team recorded a new meet record and world leading time of 38.72 s for the 4×100 m relay. Later he was timed at 46.27 for his leg of the 4×400 metres relay, again winning the race for his MVP team.
Powell next competed in the Sydney Track Classic in Australia on 28 February, again running the anchor leg in the 4x100 m relay and winning the event in a new world leading time of 38.62 s. Two hours later he ran a 400 m race, finishing fourth in a new personal best 45.94 s, shaving 1.23 seconds off his previous best time.
After the 400 m race he said:
Five days later Powell ran his first 100 m race of the season. Competing at the Melbourne Track Classic he ran a world leading 10.23 s, wind measuring −1.4 m/s on the coldest day of the year to date.
On 16 April Powell was nominated for the Laureus World Team of the Year award, as a member of the 2008 Jamaica Olympic Sprint Team.
Powell then found himself involved in controversy when he was a last-minute "no show" at the UTech Track and Field Classic on 18 April. It had previously been announced that Powell would run the 200 m and 4x100 m relay races. Powell attended the meet as a spectator. A press conference called three days later by the MVP Track Club did not fully answer questions as to why Powell did not compete. The matter was reported to the Jamaica Fair Trading Commission who announced on 23 April that they started investigations.
Powell was next to run at the Penn Relays
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
on 25 April but on the morning of the event the Jamaica Observer reported that he had withdrawn from the 4x100 m relay. His manager Paul Doyle stated that Powell would not run due to concerns with his ankle while running the curve on the Franklin Field
Franklin Field
Franklin Field is the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for football, field hockey, lacrosse, sprint football, and track and field . It is also used by Penn students for recreation, and for intramural and club sports, including touch football and cricket, and is the site of Penn's graduation...
track. The Jamaica Observer cited a "highly placed source" when reporting that Powell had turned his ankle in training at Utech. Despite the report, Powell ran the anchor leg of the relay but aggravated the ankle injury, pulled up and finished ninth in 41.24
Scheduled to run at the IAAF Super Grand Prix in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
on 8 May, Powell withdrew from the event, citing the need for sufficient time for his injured ankle to properly heal. He finished seventh in his first event returning from injury, the Reebok Grand Prix
Reebok Grand Prix
The Adidas Grand Prix, formerly the Reebok Grand Prix, is an annual athletics meeting at the Icahn Stadium in New York City, United States. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-World records:...
held in New York at Icahn Stadium
Icahn Stadium
Icahn Stadium is a track and field venue located on Randall's Island, in New York City, and is one of only four Class 1 internationally certified tracks in the United States.-Overview:...
on 30 May. When interviewed he stated that his ankle was very weak but not painful. He finished second in his next event, the Prefontaine Classic
Prefontaine Classic
The Prefontaine Classic is one of the premier track and field meets in the United States. Every year it draws a world caliber field to compete at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.-History:...
eight days later. On 27 June he qualified for the 100 m at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
with a second place finish in 9.97 s at the Jamaican national championships. At the Bislett Games
Bislett Games
The Bislett Games is an annual track and field event at the Bislett Stadion in Oslo, Norway. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League. It is sponsored by ExxonMobil and officially known as the ExxonMobil Bislett Games.-History:The first...
on 3 July Powell overcame a poor start to win the 100 m in a 10.07 s photo finish. Four days later he recorded the same time in winning the Athletissima 100 m. Although he improved his season's best to 9.88 he finished second to Tyson Gay at the Golden Gala Roma on 10 July. Powell next ran the 100 m at
the International Meeting of Athletics' Sports Solidarity, a charity event that encourages the participation of disabled athletes, finishing third.
At the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
, Powell took bronze in the finals of the 100 m meet with a time of 9.84 seconds, while compatriot Bolt broke his own world record by running 9.58 seconds. Eight days later, on 22 August, Powell helped Jamaica claim gold in the 4 x 100 m relay by running the anchor leg. The time of 37.31 seconds set was a new Championship Record for the event.
2010
Asafa Powell opened his 2010 season on 20 February at the UWI Invitational Meet in Jamaica, by competing in the 400 m. He won his heat in a time of 47.56 s, but he was placed 3rd overall according to his time. He then ran the 200 m at the UTech Classic on 17 April 2010, also in his homeland. He competed in the 200 m in heavy rain and cold conditions. Powell opened up a huge lead in the first 100 m after which he slowed drastically and won his heat in 21.27 s in a 1 m/s headwind. Later it was reported that Powell had suffered minor cramps on his left calf muscles, which was why he had to slow down. Powell was next scheduled to run in the highly anticipated 4x100 m Penn Relays featuring Jamaica Yellow, and competing against Usain Bolt (Jamaica Black). But he pulled out of the race as it was reported by his assistant coach that he had an injured toe which would need sometime to heal. At the IAAF Diamond League in Doha, Powell made a wind aided time of 9.75 s in the heat and 9.81 s in the final,also wind-aided. He subsequently set a 100 m world leading time of 9.83 s. En route to this performance, he also set the rarely run 100 yards dash world best at 9.07 s, beating the previous record of 9.21 set by Charlie Greene.Powell next competed at the DKF Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway where he powered to a splendid victory with a wind-aided 9.72s. A week later, he competed at the Golden Gala in Rome, Italy, where he overcame a very poor reaction time at the start to take another victory in a World Leading time of 9.82 s.It was reported that Powell ended his six-year contract with leading sports brand, Nike, due to sponsorship problems and rumours spread that he has a new contract with fast upcoming Chinese sports brand, Li Ning (company)Li Ning. Asafa next competed in the 200 m of the Jamaican Senior Trials where he won the final in 19.97s, his second fastest ever. There, for the first time, he promoted his new Li Ning outfit. Powell next competed in Gateshead where he got off to a terrific start, but lost to fast finishing Tyson Gay, who took the victory in 9.94 s to Powell's 9.96 s in a strong 1.7 m/s headwind. Powell was not very disappointed as he mentioned that he got too relaxed, thus allowing Gay to outdo him in the final strides. The next race in Paris against Usain Bolt was a disappointing one. Although he had a good start, Bolt caught him at halfway point, and Asafa began to lose his fluent running form. He finished 2nd to Bolt in 9.91 s, 0.07 s slower than his rival, also into a slight headwind. Asafa said that he had a very bad race, which he hoped to improve in his upcoming races. Unfortunately for Powell, there was not a 'next race' for him. He picked up strains from his Paris meeting which aggravated to hamstring and back problems. Powell missed his next two outings where he was scheduled to clash against Bolt and Gay. Powell ended his splendid 2010 season on a disappointing note although he expressed satisfaction on the races that he competed for the year.
2011
Asafa opened his 2011 season on 16 April at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. He ran the 200 m where he came in third after what looked to be a good first 140 m, slowing down significantly at the last quarter of the race. His time was 20.55 s for the race behind Yohan Blake and Daniel Bailey. Powell ran his next race was the 4x100 m relay USA vs The World at the Penn Relays 2011, on 28 April. He ran the unusual first leg for Jamaica as he blasted off like a bullet to give Jamaica the lead. Jamaica won the event in a world leading time of 38.33 s, ahead of USA Red and USA Blue teams respectively. He stated after the run that he was in good shape and was looking forward to do great things in the year ahead. Powell next ran the 200 m at the Jamaica International Invitational Meet on 7 May. He looked promising in the first 120 m, after which he slowed down drastically, finishing in last place with a time of 21.40 s, in a race won by Jamaican Nickel Ashmeade. He later stated that he felt a minor pain in his hamstring and he backed off as a precaution, but insisted that it was nothing serious.In the second meeting of the 2011 IAAF Diamond League at Shanghai Golden Grand Prix
Shanghai Golden Grand Prix
The Shanghai Golden Grand Prix is an annual athletics event at the Shanghai Stadium in Shanghai, PR China as part of the IAAF Diamond League. The meeting has had its inaugural edition in 2005...
, Powell won the 100m with a time of 9.95 seconds. Powell next ran at the IAAF Diamond League in Rome against Usain Bolt on 26 May. Powell had a superb start and mid but he faded towards the end, only to allow the world record holder to surpass him in the final 10–12 m of the race. Bolt won in 9.91 s and Powell came second in 9.93s. He said that he had lost focus, but is confident about beating Usain after what he had done that day. Powell next competed in the IAAF World Challenge in Rabat, Morocco, in a low key meet. There, after running the first 20m, he pulled up and finished last in 36.13 s, citing a precaution against a serious hamstring injury. Reports said that it was nothing serious and he would be ready for the Jamaican Trials later in the month. At the Jamaican Trials 23–24 July, Powell looked impressive as he qualified through the rounds. He posted a season best of 9.90s in his semi-final, despite easing off in the final 15m. Later, after overcoming a bad start, Powell won the final to be titled National Champion for the fifth time in his career. He won in a time of 10.08 s into a 1.8 m/s headwind. Yohan Blake and Steve Mullings were second and third respectively with 0.01 s separating them.
Next up for Powell was the Diamond League Athletissima in Lausanne on 30 June. In chilly conditions, not ideal for sprinting, the former world record holder bulleted out of his blocks and ran to the tape, recording a world-leading 9.78 s with a following wind of 1.0 m/s. Powell was indeed happy with his strong performance, his fastest in three years and was full of confidence about the rest of the season and the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea in late August. Next up for Powell was the IAAF Diamond League Meeting in Birmingham, England on 10 July. He became the first man in history to break the 10 seconds barrier in the Sir Alexander Stadium when he clocked a very easy looking 9.95 s in his heat. Later, in the final he eased to a 9.91s victory where compatriots Nesta Carter and Michael Frater finished second and third respectively. Powell was satisfied with both his races, stating that he took both the races easy due to very chilly and rainy conditions. Asafa seemed more and more confident heading into the World Championships in late August. Powell next competed on 30 July in Budapest at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He ran 9.90s in his heats and eased through the final to win in 9.86 s, having following winds of 1.8 m/s and 2.0 m/s respectively, in cold conditions.
Powell was next slated to run the Aviva London Grand Prix, however he pulled out, citing a groin strain. Later in late August, just a couple of days before the start of the World Championships in Daegu, Powell shocked the world by pulling out of the highly anticipated 100 m as his groin strain aggravated and did not allow him to compete. Powell expressed great disappoinment but vowed to come back strong for the London Olympics in 2012, but still hoped to run the 4x100 m relay in Daegu. However, he was unfit to run the relay and had to watch his compatriots win gold in a world record time of 37.04 s. Powell competed in the 100 m at the Diamond League Final in Zurich on 9 September. He looked very impressive in the first 60 m, but faded to second place as newly crowned world champion, Yohan Blake, took victory in 9.82 s. Powell registered a 9.95 s run, which was impressive given the fact that his injury was still present. By completing the race, the sprinter took the Samsung Diamond Trophy with $40,000 in cash. Powell ended his season with another injury, almost a repeat of year 2010, where he showed excellent form in the first half of the year, but unfortunately suffered injuries.
Personal bests
| Event | Time (seconds) | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 metres 60 metres 60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes... |
6.56 | New York City, United States | 6 February 2004 |
| 100 metres 100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896... |
9.72, 9.65w | Lausanne Lausanne Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west... , Switzerland |
2 September 2008 |
| 200 metres 200 metres A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first... |
19.90, 19.83w | Kingston Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island... , Jamaica |
25 June 2006 |
| 400 metres 400 metres The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and... |
45.94 | Sydney, Australia | 28 February 2009 |
60 metres
| Event | Result | City | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 10th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations were held in the Budapest Arena, Hungary between March 5 and March 7, 2004... |
5th Semifinal | Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... |
5 March 2004 |
100 metres
| Event | Result (Pos) | City | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 IAAF World Athletics Final 2003 IAAF World Athletics Final The 1st IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Stade Louis II, in Monte Carlo, Monaco on 13 September and 14 September 2003.The hammer throw event for men and women had to take place in Szombathely, Hungary a week previous as the Monaco stadium was not large enough to hold the event.One of the... |
7th Final | Monaco Monaco Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the... |
13 September 2003 |
| 2004 Olympic Games Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metres The men's 100 metres was of one of 23 track events of the athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics, in Athens. It was contested at the Athens Olympic Stadium, from August 21 to August 22, by a total of 84 sprinters from 63 nations.... |
5th Final | Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... |
22 August 2004 |
| 2004 IAAF World Athletics Final 2004 IAAF World Athletics Final The 2nd IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Stade Louis II, in Monte Carlo, Monaco on September 18, and September 19, 2004.The hammer throw event for men and women had to take place in Szombathely, Hungary a week previous as the Monaco stadium was not large enough to hold the event.One of... |
1st Final | Monaco Monaco Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the... |
18 September 2004 |
| 2006 Commonwealth Games 2006 Commonwealth Games The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site... |
1st Final | Melbourne | 20 March 2006 |
| 2006 IAAF World Athletics Final 2006 IAAF World Athletics Final The 4th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 9 and September 10, 2006.-Results:-External links:*... |
1st Final | Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... |
9 September 2006 |
| 2007 World Championships 2007 World Championships in Athletics The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007... |
3rd Final | Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... |
26 August 2007 |
| 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final The 5th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 22 and September 23, 2007.-Men:- Women :-External links:*... |
1st Final | Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... |
22 September 2007 |
| 2008 Olympic Games Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metres The following new world and Olympic records were set during this competition.-Qualification:Each National Olympic Committee was able to enter up to three entrants providing they had met the A standard in the qualifying period... |
5th Final | Beijing | 16 August 2008 |
| 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final The 6th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart, Germany on September 13 and September 14, 2008.A number of road races also took place on the second day of competition. There were seven different starting points around the Stuttgart area and the distances varied... |
1st Final | Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... |
13 September 2008 |
| 2009 World Championships 2009 World Championships in Athletics The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate.... |
3rd Final | Berlin | 16 August 2009 |
| 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final The 7th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Kaftanzoglio Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece on September 12 and September 13, 2009. The competition represented the culmination of the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Tour, a selection of athletics meetings which began on September 20, 2008 at the... |
2nd Final | Thesaloniki | 12 September 2009 |
200 metres
| Event | Result | City | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Olympic Games Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 200 metres -Qualification:The qualification period for Athletics was 1 January 2003 to 9 August 2004. For the men's 200 metres, each National Olympic Committee was permitted to enter up to three athletes that had run the race in 20.59 seconds or faster during the qualification period... |
4th Semifinal (Final DNS) | Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... |
25 August 2004 |
| 2004 IAAF World Athletics Final 2004 IAAF World Athletics Final The 2nd IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Stade Louis II, in Monte Carlo, Monaco on September 18, and September 19, 2004.The hammer throw event for men and women had to take place in Szombathely, Hungary a week previous as the Monaco stadium was not large enough to hold the event.One of... |
1st Final | Monaco Monaco Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the... |
20 September 2004 |
4×100 metres relay
| Event | Result | City | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 Commonwealth Games Athletics at the 2002 Commonwealth Games At the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held at the City of Manchester Stadium from the 26–30 July 2002. The route for the marathon event crossed Manchester city centre and finished in the stadium. The race walk events began alongside the Lowry Centre at Salford Quays... |
2nd Final | Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... |
31 July 2002 |
| 2003 World Championships 2003 World Championships in Athletics The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:... |
DQ Final | Paris | 31 August 2003 |
| 2005 World Championships 2005 World Championships in Athletics The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of... |
4th Final | Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... |
13 August 2005 |
| 2006 Commonwealth Games Athletics at the 2006 Commonwealth Games At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held in Melbourne, Australia from 19 March to 25 March 2006. A total of 47 events were contested, of which 24 by male and 23 by female athletes. Furthermore, three men's and three women's disability events were held within the programme... |
1st Final | Melbourne | 25 March 2006 |
| 2007 World Championships 2007 World Championships in Athletics The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007... |
2nd Final | Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... |
1 September 2007 |
| 2008 Olympic Games Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's 4x100 metre relay The Men's 4 × 100 metre relay event at the 2008 Olympic Games took place on 21 and 22 August at the Beijing National Stadium.There were 16 NOCs competing at this event. These 16 NOCs were selected by the average of the two best marks at the qualifying period. Australia was 14th but withdrew and the... |
1st Final | Beijing | 22 August 2008   |
| 2009 World Championships 2009 World Championships in Athletics The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate.... |
1st Final | Berlin | 22 August 2009 |
Sub-10.0 runs (100 m)
- To date, Powell has run the 100 m under 10 seconds legally on 75 occasions, breaking the record held by former world record holder Maurice GreeneMaurice Greene (athlete)Maurice Greene is a retired American track and field sprinter who specialized in the 100 meters and 200 meters. He is a former 100 m world record holder with a time of 9.79 seconds. During the height of his career he won four Olympic medals and was a five-time World Champion...
who ran 100 m sub 10's on 53 occasions Powell has 34 runs in the 9.90 to 9.99 range (second in the category), Greene has the record with 42 between 9.90 to 9.99
Sub-9.90 runs (100 m)
- Powell has run under 9.90 seconds 34 times, 26 of which are in the 9.80 to 9.89 range. Maurice Greene is second in this category, with 10 runs in the 9.80 to 9.89 range.
Sub-9.80 runs (100 m)
- Powell is one of three men to have run legally under 9.80 seconds more than once, having done so eight times. Bolt and Gay are the other individuals to have achieved this feat, with Nesta Carter and Maurice Greene the only other two men having run under 9.8 seconds. Incidentally, Carter and Greene have each only run under 9.8 seconds once.
Sub-10.0 runs, Season (100 m)
- Powell is the only man to have run legally under 10.00 seconds 15 times in a single season (2008). He also has the joint-second best sub-10 seasons on record, with 12 runs in 2006 and 2009 and the joint fourth best of 9 runs in 2004, shared with Maurice Greene (1999) and Frank Fredericks (1997).
IAAF World Athletics Tour wins
Powell has recorded a total of 35 wins in IAAF Grand PrixIAAF Grand Prix
The IAAF Grand Prix was an annual global circuit of fourteen one day athletics competitions as part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations...
events, 14 coming in Golden League
IAAF Golden League
The IAAF Golden League was an annual series of track and field meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations...
events and 12 in IAAF Super Grand Prix
IAAF Super Grand Prix
The Super Grand Prix was an annual series of athletics meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations .- Meetings :Current meetings for 2009- External links :*...
events.
In the seven year history of the IAAF World Athletics Final
IAAF World Athletics Final
The IAAF World Athletics Final was an annual track and field competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was inaugurated in 2003 to replace the IAAF Grand Prix Final. The competition was part of the IAAF World Athletics Series and was the culmination of the...
(2003–2009), he won the most competitions of any male athlete and took home the most prize money in the male events. In his seven appearances at the competition, he won the 100 m four times and the 200 m once, winning US$173,000 in total.
Time progression in the 100 m
| Year | Time | Windspeed | City | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 11.45 | −2.3 | Kingston | 13 March |  |
| 2001 | 10.50 | 0.40 | Kingston | 22 June | |
| 2002 | 10.12 | 1.30 | Rovereto | 28 August | |
| 2003 | 10.02 | 0.80 | Brussels | 5 September | |
| 2004 | 9.87 | 0.20 | Brussels | 3 September | |
| 2005 | 9.77 | 1.60 | Athens | 14 June | |
| 2006 | 9.77 | 1.00 | Zürich | 15 August | |
| 2007 | 9.74 | 1.70 | Rieti | 9 September | |
| 2008 | 9.72 | 0.20 | Lausanne | 2 September | |
| 2009 | 9.82 | 1.40 | Szczecin | 15 September | |
| 2010 | 9.82 | 0.60 | Rome | 10 June | |
| 2011 | 9.78 | 1.00 | Lausanne | 30 June |
Personal life
Powell is a deeply religious man citing his mother and father and his strict upbringing as the reason for this.In 2002 tragedy struck the Powell family when one of Asafa's brothers, Michael Powell, was shot dead in a taxi in New York. This emotional event happened the week of the Jamaica National Trials. In 2003, Asafa lost another brother during the week of the Jamaica National Championships. One year after the death of Michael, Vaughn Powell suffered a heart attack while playing a game of American Football. In April 2007 Corey Reid, an uncle of Powell, was stabbed in Waterloo, Ewarton
Ewarton
-History:The name is most likely a compound of the surname "Ewart" and the suffix -ton, meaning town.The town's economy prospered particularly from 1957 when ALCAN established a bauxite plant nearby...
, St. Catherine. He later died in hospital.
Powell is known to be occasionally shy but nonetheless good natured and somewhat of a joker. He is good friends with compatriot, 100 and 200 metre world record holder Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
The two are often seen joking around and do meet off the track.
Powell is known as an avid car enthusiast.
Sponsorship
- Powell has been under contract with NikeNike, Inc.Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
since 2004, representing them in all his IAAF races, and agreeing to appear in various advertising campaigns for the company. Nike designed and built the Zoom Aerofly shoes for him, which were used at the 2008 Beijing Games. However, Powell ended his contract with Nike in mid 2010 and signed up with leading Chinese sports brand, Li Ning. - GlaxoSmithKlineGlaxoSmithKlineGlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
, through its energy drink LucozadeLucozadeLucozade is an umbrella name for a 6 series of energy and sports drinks, produced by GlaxoSmithKline in Gloucestershire. The former company became part of Beecham and, after the mergers of SmithKline and Beecham in 2000, GlaxoSmithKline....
, has sponsored Powell since he first broke the 100 m World Record in 2005. They honored his Beijing achievements in a small function in October 2008. - In January 2006, Powell signed as a global brand spokesperson for NutriliteNutriliteNutrilite is a brand of mineral, vitamin, and dietary supplements created in 1934 by Dr. Carl F. Rehnborg. Nutrilite products are currently manufactured by Access Business Group, a subsidiary of Alticor whose products are sold via the Amway and Amway Global Corporations worldwide...
. Nutrilite products are sold through the AmwayAmwayAmway is a direct selling company and manufacturer that uses network marketing to sell a variety of products, primarily in the health, beauty, and home care markets. Amway was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos...
corporation. On 14 January 2009 Amway's Team Nutrilite announced the end of the sponsorship agreement with Powell.
See also
- World record progression 100 metres menWorld record progression 100 metres menThe first record in the 100 metres for men was recognised by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as the International Association of Athletics Federations, in 1912...
- Athletics in Jamaica
- Jamaica at the OlympicsJamaica at the OlympicsJamaica first participated at the Olympic Games in 1948, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then. In 1960, Jamaican athletes competed as part of the West Indies Federation team....
- Jamaica at the 2006 Commonwealth GamesJamaica at the 2006 Commonwealth GamesJamaica was represented at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.-Medals:-Gold:* Asafa Powell, Athletics, Men's 100 m* Sheri-Ann Brooks, Athletics, Women's 100 m* Maurice Wignall, Athletics, Men's 110 m Hurdles...
External links
- Details on Asafa Powell's personalised Nike Zoom Aerofly spikes
- SPIKES Hero profile on www.spikesmag.com
- "Asafa Powell", n°11 on TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
s list of 100 Olympic Athletes To Watch - powell site