Asafa most prolific timetriallist

Members Area In the News
1

Powell equals Carl Lewis’s record

Article from: Font size: Decrease Increase Email article: Email Print article: Print Submit comment: Submit comment

By Mike Hurst

September 11, 2007 12:00am

JAMAICAN Asafa Powell yesterday equalled Carl Lewis as the most prolific 100m world record runner in the modern era - and says he can go faster.

Powell took the 100m mark down to 9.74sec at the IAAF Grand Prix in Rieti, Italy - the fourth time he has broken the record.

Powell broke American Maurice Greene’s record in 2005 when he ran 9.77sec and he equalled it twice last year before setting the new mark in the low-key meet.

When asked how low he could take the world mark, Powell said: " I could run 9.68."

Powell clocked 9.74 (tailwind 1.7m/sec) in his heat, then backed up 50 minutes later to win the final in 9.78 with an official wind reading of nil.

Since the introduction of fully automatic electronic timing in 1968, only Lewis has run four world 100m records.

Lewis set two of his records behind Johnson in Rome in 1987 and Seoul in 1988, but when the Canadian’s marks were expunged after he was caught for doping, Lewis was belatedly credited with a pair of records.

However, while Lewis won nine Olympic and eight world championship gold medals, Powell’s has to date garnered only a 100m bronze medal and a 4x100m relay silver medal, both at the world championships in Osaka, Japan.

Powell’s record yesterday came in his 18th race of the season - he also needed 18 races last year to equal his previous world record - but it comes a fortnight too late, with Powell no match for America’s Tyson Gay in Osaka in the world 100m final run on August 26.

“In Osaka, I was too tense,” Powell said.

"I thought too much about my race and the time I was hoping to achieve. On the other hand I was very relaxed in coming here (Rieti). That means I could run 9.68.

“After the world championships, where I made several mistakes, I worked with my coach so that I could regain my best form. Now I’m back.”

In Osaka the Commonwealth champion ran third in 9.96 seconds behind Gay (9.85) and Powell’s second cousin, Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas (9.91).

The Gold Coast’s Sally McLellan also found Rieti to her liking, clocking 11.30sec (tailwind 0.4m/s) to win her first 100m race in Europe.

The three-time Australian champion defeated some highly credentialled sprinters including American Stephanie Dunst (11.37), Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (11.38) from the Bahamas and Asafa Powell’s training partner and last year’s world No.1 sprinter Sherone Simpson (11.43).

2

MORE QUOTES IN THIS IAAF WEBSITE REPORT

Asafa Powell breaks World 100m record - 9.74 secs in Rieti – IAAF World Athletics Tour
Sunday 9 September 2007
Rieti, Italy - Asafa Powell of Jamaica running in the second of two heats of the men’s 100m at the Rieti Grand Prix meeting - IAAF World Athletics Tour - this afternoon improved his World 100m record with a time of 9.74 seconds (+1.7 m/s wind) *.

  1. Powell Asafa JAM 9.74 (WR*)
  2. Saidy Ndure Jaysuma NOR 10.07
  3. Collins Kim SKN 10.14

HEAT TWO: Click here for Full Result

Our correspondent in Rieti, Diego Sampaolo commented immediately after the race - “What made Powell’s feat more sensational was the fact that he made the time in the heats easing up in the final metres, giving the impression that something very special might also be expected in the final later today.”

In the final, Powell won in 9.78 (0.0m/s).

FINAL: Click here for Full Result

At the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics last month, Powell finished a disappointing third behind American Tyson Gay and Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas.

Powell’s previous World record was 9.77 seconds which he first set on 14 June 2005 in Athens, Greece, a time which he equalled twice last year (Gateshead GBR 11 June 2006 and Zürich SWI 18 August 2006).

QUOTES: Asafa Powell after his 9.74 World record:

“Today I proved to the world that Asafa is back,” confirmed Powell. “I ran easily in my heat (9.74 World rec).

“I made some mistakes in Osaka (World Champs) but today I competed as I normally should do.”

“I was nervous in Osaka because I did not compete much this season (before the champs). I forgot how I should have run in the last 40m of a race.

“I will not say today (World record) was a revenge after (the disappointment of) Osaka. There the expectations were too high. I thought too much about the World record, but I have have done a lot of work in the last two weeks (since the Osaka 100m). I learnt again to run from the start and to be more relaxed.”

“Today I could have run under 9.70. I would have loved to have run 9.68. When I ran 9.77 twice last year I always thought I could have run faster.”

“If I had had a more favourable tail wind in the final (today, 9.78) I could have run faster. The atmosphere was so special. I have a special relationship with Italy as this is where I am based for training each summer.”

*subject to the usual ratfication procedures

3

September 10, 2007 - 4:13AM

Asafa Powell showed he had recovered from his disappointing third place at the world championships by breaking his 100 metres world record with a time of 9.74 seconds on Sunday.

The Jamaican Commonwealth champion set the record in his heat at the Rieti IAAF Grand Prix and then went on to win the final in 9.78.

“It is a very fast record. It is to remind my friends that Asafa is still here,” he told reporters.

Powell had previously shared the record of 9.77 with American Olympic champion Justin Gatlin, who has been banned for doping pending the result of an arbitration hearing.

At the Osaka world championships last month, Powell finished third in the final behind American Tyson Gay and Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas.

The 24-year-old said at the time he had given up during the Osaka race but would make amends by breaking his world record before the end of the year.

“I’ve been with my coach and working hard to get back to normal,” Powell said on Sunday. “The last 40 metres were very strong. I executed it and did what I came to do today.”

The Jamaican, who won silver in the 100 relay in Osaka as Gay and the US team took gold, has never won a global title.

He was disqualified for a false start in the quarter-finals of the 2003 world championships after setting the fastest time of 10.05 in the heats.

Powell finished fifth in the 2004 Olympic final behind Gatlin before missing the 2005 worlds through injury.

However, he won the Commonwealth 100 metres title in Melbourne in 2006.

Powell initially set his previous record of 9.77 in Athens in June 2005 and went on to equal the time in June and August last year.

Reuters

4

but still mo greene is the best he had both medals and titles and word records

5

Mike Hurst

This guy has been visiting CF.com and reading the comments about AP. Check the thread about AP down below and you will find almost identical words said by CF and some other guys.

:o

6

How do you rate Mo versus Carl then?

7

I agree with you. Mo is the GOAT while asafa is the fastest of all time. If that makes sense…

8

Carl is an amasing competitor. he will allways give his total best. Even when you see him looking over at Ben when he is 3m adrift, its only his head looking, he is still relaxed and runs through the line.
Long jump, man, the guy is a machine competitor.
I remember yrs ago, Carl was THE relay man too i believe. Some crazy splits for him in relays too, Any times being able to be dug up on them Carl relay splits at all??

As good as Mo is over the 100m, when you look at Worlds and Oly’s medals, Carl sure has it over Mo. When you look at only the 100m, then sure Mo. I think??

9

Another thing about capacity to accumulate world championship medals:

Lewis was dominant at 100m from about 1983 to 1991. In that time the world champs were conducted only every four years, so Carl had Helsinki 83, Rome 87 (given that BJ’s mark was expunged) and Tokyo 91.

Then the world champs switched to a two-year schedule. Mo came through in Athens 1997 and had the opportunity to compete in Seville 99, Edmonton 01, Paris 03.

On that basis, would you agree that Carl had it over every other world No.1 for longevity. (I mean, Ray Stewart was around for a hundred years but he never actually won a world or Olympic 100m gold medal).

On the other hand, Carl has eight world golds and nine Olympic golds. It’s a pity he was an insufferable egomaniac, but it sure made for an electric clash of styles and personalities when he faced Ben.

There’s really been nothing to compare, not since anyway - but maybe next year in Beijing if Asafa and Tyson can both bring their A-race on the day of the Olympic 100 final.

10

You never know who’s on the site with you!

11

Is Mo still running? or has he retired?

12

Last I heard still training. I think he will come back next season and break 10 again. If he does the training. He has skipped & missed lots of sessions over the last two seasons. I guess its hard to stay motivated to be at the top for that long, especially the way HSI train.