Asafa's cousin goes 9.98

Members Area Race Reports
1

On April 27 (or 28): Bahamian sprinter Derrick Atkins (a second cousin of Asafa Powell) came away from the start magnificently in the 100m at the California Collegiate Challenge in Berkeley and registered a world-leading 9.98 time (with an exactly legal 2.0 wind), lowering his own national record from his 10.08 last year.

Apr 27-28: Berkeley: 100 (a): (2.0) 1, Atkins BAH 9.98 rec (1h1 10.34/-0.4); 2, Laynes 10.16; 3, Ammons 10.27; 200: (2.1) 1, Atkins 20.48w; 2, T Smith 20.81;

THIS INTERESTING RESULT FALLS UNDER THE “BETTER LATE THAN NEVER” CATEGORY. THIS INFO COURTESY OF “ATHLETICS INTERNATIONAL” NEWSLETTER,

subscriber info from legendary England statistician Mel Watman
e-mail: mel@gardencourt.fsnet.co.uk

2

Believe it or not, the 10.34 in the heats was a legal pb as well! Didn’t know about the cousin bit. I imagine the scouts will be combing the family tree pretty closely now!

3

I think Atkins ran 10.08 and a string of 10.1’s last year (all legal wind). The reason I know this is because one of his coaches was in my group at the usatf seminar (also the 2006 iaaf list). He got a call from his camp the one evening while with me getting informed of one of Atkins’ windy 10.0x runs I believe.

9.98 is still a big pb for him.