Asafa Powell looked vulnerable in Kingston when he lost the 100 metres in the Jamaican Olympic trials to Usain Bolt in June. Bolt, 21, had by then wrested the world record from him, clocking 9.72 in New York in May. With his Kingston effort of 9.76, just two hundredths of a second shy of Powell’s old mark, Bolt had the best two timings in the world for the season.
Everyone was talking about the new kid on the block.
Then Powell beat the world record holder in Stockholm in July, by one-hundredth of a second. He won again in London, minus Bolt. But a 9.94 was not really great by his standards.
Came Monaco and Powell had a 9.82, his best for the season and fourth best in the world, behind two by Bolt and one by American Tyson Gay (9.77). Powell was right back on centre-stage.
Three straight victories on the Grand Prix circuit have surely put Powell on road to what could be his first global title. He was the favourite in the Osaka World Championships, but Gay beat him hollow, with the Jamaican ending up third.
When you look at the fact that he holds five of the top eight timings for the 100m in the all-time list, Powell looks more than formidable. And when you look at how well he has ‘peaked’ towards the all-important goal for the year —Beijing — he looks solid. Only once (Osaka 2007) in six outings has Powell been beaten by Gay; he has a 1-1 record against Bolt in the 100m.
“If Usain is there, I’m not going to say, ‘damn, I’m not going to get gold now,’” says Powell.
K. P. Mohan
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