Asafa on the record

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BY HIS OWN CONSERVATIVE STANDARDS, THIS INTERVIEW WITH ASAFA POWELL IS FULL OF INTEREST FOR THOSE WHO STILL BELIEVE IN HIM AS A FORCE IN THE SPRINT. (count me in! kk:cool:

Powell ready to run in New York
Thu May 21, 2009 By Joe Battaglia / Universal Sports

Asafa Powell is eager to run the 100m at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York on May 30.

When it comes to reports on the health and status of Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell, you can believe only half of what you read and none of what you hear because the so-called news is about as reliable as celebrity gossip.

That is, unless it comes from the man himself.

On the same day that an Asian wire service reported that Powell was pulling out of the Reebok Grand Prix in New York on May 30, the former 100m world-record holder dispelled that notion.

“To be honest, I have no idea where that came from,” Powell said in a phone interview with Universal Sports from Kingston, Jamaica.

In a story coming out of Mexico City, the Chinese news agency Xinhua reported that Powell was unlikely to compete next weekend in the wake of an ankle injury he aggravated at the Penn Relays in April. The article quoted Powell’s coach, Stephen Francis as saying, “In terms of racing, we just have to wait and see until next week.”

Powell said that he is in no way taking a wait-and-see approach. He said that he got in the blocks for the first time in a couple weeks today and worked on his starts. He added that he felt a little sore in the beginning but felt great after warming up.

“I have been working hard for the past couple of weeks and there were no words from my coach that I wouldn’t be running in New York,” Powell said. “I don’t know where that’s coming from. I feel great.”

[b]Powell suffered a left ankle injury while running the curve during 200-meter workouts in mid-April. The injury appeared to have healed when Powell decided to run the anchor leg of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay in the USA vs. The World showcase at the Penn Relays on April 25.

“I wasn’t feeling too bad at Penn and because it was a relay and I pretty much didn’t have to run a full-out race I figured I could give it a shot,” Powell said. “I actually felt good until I made that sixth step. It wasn’t until then that I felt something wrong.”[/b]

Since aggravating the injury in Philadelphia, Powell has done some light training and rehab work in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and had a physiotherapist from Canada administer some treatments in Jamaica. Powell said he didn’t feel like the ankle was fully healed and rather than risk further injury he decided not to run in the IAAF Super Grand Prix in Doha, Qatar on May 8.

“I wasn’t going to make that same mistake I did at Penn twice,” Powell said. “I made a mistake when I went to Penn to run and with the World Championships coming up I didn’t want to make that mistake again.”

If there is one thing that Powell wants to avoid at all cost is persistent injuries. Last year, he suffered hamstring, knee and shoulder injuries, the latter of which required surgery last May and knocked him out of training for over six weeks.

“I was really training very hard last year and to get an injury and have surgery in May, two and a half months before the Olympics, put me way behind,” Powell said. “I had to sit out six or seven weeks before I was able to really get back into training. I pretty much did the Jamaican Trials (in June) with one arm. It wasn’t until the end of July that I was almost 100 percent.”

Although he felt confident in his racing form heading into the Olympics after clocking a pair of 9.9s during 100-meter races in Europe, Powell said his fitness level was lacking and contributed to his disappointing fifth-place finish in the 100m final in Beijing.

“Personally, I don’t think I had any mental problems,” Powell said of his Olympic experience. “I think it was a physical problem because of all the injuries that I got last year and set me back big-time. I was confident going into the Games. I started to feel a bit tired going through the rounds because I didn’t get to do much background strength work in.”

Since Powell’s countryman Usain Bolt lowered the 100m world record to 9.69 seconds in Beijing, the entire landscape has been changed for sprinters across the globe. But Powell feels like he is still very much in the mix and that Bolt’s record is quite attainable.

“Usain ran very fast last year but there is no Superman out there,” Powell said. “I think it’s possible that any of the guys out there this year can break that world record. You just have to be ready. I am trying not to get injured anymore because it’s not beyond my reach. We’ll see how the season progresses but that time is very reachable. I will definitely be able to run that fast if I stay injury free for the rest of the season and continue training properly.”

As for the Reebok Grand Prix, Powell said he is anxious to get out on the track and get that first race of the outdoor season under his belt.

And to run fast, of course.

“I don’t really put any times out there. I just want to run really fast pretty much,” Powell, whose 50 career sub-10 second 100m times is second only to Maurice Greene’s 52 all-time. “If I execute and make sure that my technique is all right and everything goes well then it’s going to be a fast race. Every year I normally run sub-10 pretty easily, so I don’t see there being a problem going under 10 seconds in New York.”

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“Personally, I don’t think I had any mental problems,” Powell said of his Olympic experience. “I think it was a physical problem because of all the injuries that I got last year and set me back big-time. I was confident going into the Games. I started to feel a bit tired going through the rounds because I didn’t get to do much background strength work in.”

If this is what he really thinks, I reckon he is in denial. Compare his SF and the F. Where was his “physical problem” in the SF? And especially during his 4x100m leg?

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Didn’t he say he basically hadn’t done the training to make it through the rounds? I thought that’s what he was implying anyway.

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Didn’t he say he basically hadn’t done the training to make it through the rounds? I thought that’s what he was implying anyway.

KK,

we can be as philosophical as we want [Asafa included] but there are too many factors that can be stated that Asafa had more of mental issues than physical. We can argue now that it was due to lack of training [post injury] etc. etc. but if we go back and view the race, post race interviews and watch him in 4x100m most of us would conclude that he pooed himself. He could not even beat those that he can eat up for breakfast any day even without a warm up. To me, and as I said it is only my opinion, he is in denial, which is not a good thing. I am a big fan but obvious is obvious.

Hell, he even admitted it.

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If you are prepared physically and you know it, then the mental stuff somehow seems to magically fall into place.

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Exactly! Prime example is Bolt’s relaxed antics in Beijing when he knew he was going to win vs. him before the 200m final in Osaka when he knew he couldn’t beat Tyson Gay

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No shit! Thakyou, xlr8. I’m glad someone has been listening for the last few years!
What part of rounds in major meets don’t people get?? When you are trashed in the final, it’s over!
Yet, over and over, people want to “address the mental issue” and ignore the physical issues that led to disaster after disaster. You ignore reality at your peril!!
PSYCH 101:
a: When you ARE mentally weak, you will ALWAY be mentally weak whenever you meet the best, heats or not.
b: Bolt did not win major 200s prior to 2008. He changed his preparation, not his psychiatrist.
c: There is, however, one mental phenomenon that we can clearly identify, and it exists among those who’ve never been in a position to experience any of this personally, and that is ‘certanitis’ .
As Will Rogers once said: “It’s not what they don’t know that scares me. It’s what they know for sure that just ain’t so.”

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So far the record says 3:0 and if it turns to be 4:0 in Berlin what/who is going to be blamed? As I recall Powell said that he isn’t a big meet guy…

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His 400m time has improved so maybe he is in better shape this year.
Running some 200s at meets wouldn’t hurt either.

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It’s 3 now and will be 4 soon enough if nothing changes.
Powell doesn’t get it and neither do you.

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Charlie,

I am not ignoring physical issues nor I disagree with what you have said. What I am saying is that every individual is different and that even though Asafa did not have the best of preparation leading up to the OG he could have easily won 2nd place had his head been sorted out once and for all i.e. being well prepared or not. I do not see Thompson beating Asafa ever again.

Being not very confident person when it comes to the big meets and with huge expectations of the whole world Asafa painted himself into a mental corner and could not get out of it. Once the big final was over the mental pressure was over as well and especially after having a couple of days off he recovered well [obviously being encouraged by his team mates to overcome these problems]. Therefore, he produced blistering last leg in 4x100m.

Asafa can not be compared with Usain as Usain is mentally stronger person. Asafa is a very quiet and withdrawn kind of guy. I have met him a couple of years back in Australia and have had a chat with him. We can go through his training preparation, we can talk about the rounds etc. etc. but Asafa was physically ready to run at least 9.85 which would have awarded him 2nd place. That’s all I am saying.

But, let’s put all of this aside and let’s remember what Asafa said himself after the race.

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“Did not have the best preparation”??
He tore his bicep off requiring surgery. Not only is that devastating to anyone’s preparation, it speaks to the general issue of how Asafa has approached preparation- trying out a dangerous and unnecessary lifting method on his own. The fact that Asafa would ignore his coach’s dictum about avoiding risky lifts and also wonder out loud about the reason for his failures speaks to a lack of comprehension of the fundamental need for a consistent organized plan.
“Asafa was physically ready to run at least 9.85”.
According to whom? According to you!
Sorry but your clueless commentary on this issue gives you ZERO credibility with me.
“Asafa cannot be compared to Usain as Usain is a mentally stronger person”
Again this is according to you.
Of course, if Usain had torn HIS bicep, messing up his preparation, and lost once again, what would stop you from playing the mental card with him for failing to live up to his early promise?
I always hope that I might have a useful effect on people’s understanding of preparation issues.
Sometimes I make some headway and sometimes I just plain don’t!

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lol ^^^^^^^^^^

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Charlie,

“Asafa was physically ready to run at least 9.85”.
According to whom? According to you!

According to the way he eased off in the SF and according to the time he produced [one of the fastest if not the fastest time] in his 4x100m. And, according to 9.72 he ran 10 minutes after the OG ended. Not according to me. According to his abilities to run faster than 9.85 but because he shit himself he could not.

Simple. Why would you overlook that?

Sorry but your clueless commentary on this issue gives you ZERO credibility with me.

Clueless? Charlie, you can do better than that.

“Asafa cannot be compared to Usain as Usain is a mentally stronger person”
Again this is according to you.

No, it can be clearly noticed that Usain’s approach is much more cocky before, during and after he ran 9.69 than Asafa’s will ever be. You just choose to ignore it.

Of course, if Usain had torn HIS bicep, messing up his preparation, and lost once again, what would stop you from playing the mental card with him for failing to live up to his early promise?

Nonsense. Bolt had a car accident, had his foot stitched up and produced blistering 14.36 in Manchester in a street race a week ago. Not to mention that he smashed the WR by some margin not being even close to his season’s peak performance.

And guess what - it was not his biceps but his foot.

Asafa:

“I don’t know how to explain (his form in Beijing), maybe I’m just a guy for the circuit. I just don’t know how to explain it,” said Powell.

“I asked my coach yesterday ‘why I’m running so fast at the end of the season’ and he said ‘there is a lot less pressure now so you can do whatever you want’.”

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You just go on and on with the same old stuff. How can I “do better” than to describe your inability to see any farther than Asafa can as other than clueless?
The guy simply cannot get the races he needs in time after time because of these misadventures and he needs to pull his head out of his ass and listen to instruction from his coach BEFOREHAND and not ask why he fucks up afterwards. If that’s your idea of mental issues- fine.
Comparing Usain’s thorn in the foot to a ruptured pec- we’ll I’ve got nothing more to say.

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I heard barry greenstein (top line poker player) say in an interview that “it’s important to be confident, but I think it’s more important to have a reason to be confident”.

sums it up pretty well, I reckon…

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Charlie,

We [I am] are going on about the same old stuff because it is related to the same old stuff. My comment was related to Asafa’s new and sudden revelation that he had not experienced FEAR [to put is plain and simple] in the final but [even though both Asafa and his coach admitted Asafa’s inability to perform on majors are due to “pressure” (read it high expectations) or “I have to be the Olympic Champion syndrome”] rather that it was ONLY due to lack of sufficient and adequate preparation, which was direct consequence of his previous injuries, in the lead up to the OG.

Even in media you can read comments like;

And that’s what it seems to come down to for Powell. He is cool, calm and relaxed when there is just cash on the line but add the allure of bright chunks of metal hanging on ribbons and he becomes 95% of the sprinter he is on the one-day circuit.

And that is not without a reason…

Do I understand that Asafa was injured? Yes I do.
Do I understand that his physical preparations in the lead up to the OG were not 100%? Yes, I do understand.
Was he a d.head for going behind his coach’s back and doing all sorts of stupid things that caused those injuries? Yes, he was.
Should he be less of a d.head in future if he wants to perform well? Certainly he should.
Do I understand your point Charlie? I think I do.

But Charlie, are you trying to say that Asafa was as solid [mentally] as a rock when he stood on the start line in the final?

Let’s put aside anxiety, huge crowd, 2 billion people watching the race, 1 million cameras flashing…let’s not even include all of that.

Correct me if I am wrong but you have been advocating the idea “if you are not well prepared for a race doubt surfaces and can cause under-performance”? If this is my correct interpretation we are in an agreement.

However, Asafa’s performances before and after the final have proven that he could run…fast, only in the final he could not. One can say;

  • it was due to bad timing and lack of preparation
  • it was due to injuries and mischievous behaviour
  • it was due to high expectations and pressure
  • it was due to his inability to run rounds
  • it was due to fear [disappointment]

I would include ALL of these factors not only one.

My analysis [right or wrong in your opinion, I do not care] goes along those lines…

Mischievous behaviour led to injuries…the injuries led to lack of preparation and bad timing…along came all those huge expectations that proved to be a burden Asafa could not have carried stoically…and finally when he woke up on the start line and smelled the roses he realised that there was no chance for him to become the Olympic champion and his legs turned into jelly.

Finally, if Asafa was more of mentally solid/stable person [read - not being softy] who was focused on his race and not on what others are/were expecting from him he would have had produced better time then 9.89 and finished second. Did he have it in his legs? In my clueless opinion, [including all of the above] he DID.

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A weak character doesn’t back up a severe loss in the Olympics with a 9.72. He would just have flown back to Jamaica.

Since 2004, Asafa has been consistent and produced so many 9.7 and 9.8, face everybody in any circumstances… How can you describe such an athlete as weak mentally. A weak athlete can’t survive more than a year in the circuit.

Regarding Asafa’s quotes : the words that some journalists put in Asafa’s mouth a few seconds after a race are not relevant. His failure at the OG requires an analyse which doesn’t fit to the 30sec TV-ipost-race-interview format. And anyway it appears that Asafa doesn’t know why he failed anyway.

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Give it up PJ. You can’t argue with someone who has the certainty born of never facing these high level competitive realities as you and I have on so many occasions.
You know as well as I do that top athletes are keenly aware of their bodies and KNOW exactly what they are ready for at a given moment based on their preparation and that training background shows up when 4 rounds are involved.
As you point out, the Olympic finalists are the same guys you see on the circuit over and over with the difference being in the rounds they have to endure beforehand.
You also recognize the contribution arm drive plays in the 100m from the blocks vs a running start relay leg and the specific effect upper body training losses can have.
I think as many people understand the issues as are likely to at this point.
Everyone else will know what they read or hear in the news and use newspaper quotes to ‘prove’ that we are wrong.

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It reminds me of a baseball interview I read about once.

They asked a player why he was so loose. He said “Because I’m batting .350. If I were batting .250 it would be called ‘not caring.’”

No one ever just performs poorly anymore (or poorer than people think they should have, anyway). They always must have choked.