Asafa's WL100 in Rome

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Jamaican improves season’s best mark in 100m
Last updated: 10th June 2010

Asafa Powell produced another flying performance as he improved his world leading 100 metres time for the year at the Golden Gala in Rome.

The Jamaican clocked 9.82 seconds on the fourth leg of the IAAF Diamond League series, but in a non-scoring event, edging his previous world lead of 9.83sec set last month in Ostrava.

However, his time did not eclipse the Olympic Stadium record of 9.77 seconds - set by former world champion Tyson Gay in the same event last year.

Powell blamed a poor start to his failure to beat Gay’s mark, stating: “I got a very good time despite a very bad reaction, but I had a very good second part of the race.”

A powerful pick-up carried Powell well clear of the talented French sprinters Christophe Lemaitre and Martial Mbandjock who in a photo finish both clocked 10.09 seconds.

After some highly-encouraging form in recent weeks, Lemaitre was expected to break the 10-second barrier on the very fast track, but the 19-year-old European junior champion forgot to pack his spikes and only discovered the mistake four hours before the meeting started.

Powell, unbeaten all season, added: "This year I changed a lot of things in my preparation.

“I’ve worked better, I’ve lost weight but I’ve gained power.”

Mark Lewis-Francis, still securing invitations to Diamond League meets but not included in the British team for next weekend’s European Team Championships, finished eighth in 10.30 seconds.

Jenny Meadows produced the best British performance of the night when she finished third in a strong 800m race won by the up-and-coming Halima Hachlaf.

The 21-year-old Moroccan produced a superb sprint finish to go under two minutes for the first time when winning in a world leading time of 1:58.40.

Her finishing streak in the home straight beat off the challenges of World Championships silver and bronze medallists Janeth Jepkosgei and Meadows, who themselves posted season’s bests of 1:58.85 and 1:58.89.

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Seriously, a 0.214 RT? He was good for 9.77 here.

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ROME, Italy (CMC):

Asafa Powell continued his impressive form this season in the men’s 100 metres, when he ran the fastest time for the year during the fourth meet in the IAAF Diamond League series yesterday at the Olympic Stadium.

The World Championship bronze medallist from Jamaica clocked 9.82 seconds to shave one hundredth-of-a-second off the time he ran in the Czech Republic city of Ostrava on May 27.

“It was a pretty good race, the only problem was my start,” he said. "My reaction time was the worst of my entire life.

“I got a very good time, despite a very bad reaction, but I had a very good second part of the race.”

The French pair of Christophe Lemaitre, who turns 20 today, and Martial Mbandjock trailed Powell to the line in second and third, respectively, with same time of 10.09 secs.

Lerone Clarke, another Jamaican, finished fifth in 10.19, just ahead of compatriot Mario Forsythe, whose time was 10.25.

Olympic and World champion Shelly-Ann Fraser, Powell’s compatriot and MVP training partner,suffered the indignity of being disqualified from the women’s 100.

Fraser was expelled from the dash when she jumped the gun, a few minutes after American Mikkele Barber had suffered the same fortune.

American Lashauntea Moore clocked 11.04 to prevail over veteran Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas and Tahesia Harrigan of the British Virgin Islands.

Sturrup ran 11.14 and Harrigan clocked 11.17 to finish ahead Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, another Bahamian, whose time was 11.31, and Jamaica Aleen Bailey pulled into sixth in a season’s best 11.40.

Hurdlers Kaliese Spencer and Dwight Thomas of Jamaica finished second in personal season-best times in the women’s 400 hurdles and men’s 110 hurdles, respectively.

Spencer ran 53.48 to finish behind American Lashinda Demus, whose 52.82 was a world-leading time and meet record.

Trinidad & Tobago’s Josanne Lucas finished fifth in a season-best 54.84.

Season best

Thomas clocked 13.31 and World champion Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados ran a season-best time of 13.34 for third behind Olympic champion Dayron Robles of Cuba, whose time was 13.14.

St Lucia’s Lavern Spencer and the Bahamian Christopher Brown reached the podium with their place finishes in the respective events.

Spencer cleared 1.95 metres in the women’s high jump, which was won by Croatia star Blanka Vlasic with a meet record clearance of 2.03m, with American Chaunte Howard-Lowe also clearing the same height in more jumps to finish second.

Brown clocked a season best 45.05 to finish ahead of T&T’s Renny Quow (45.52) in the men’s 400, which American Jeremy Wariner won in a world-leading time of 44.73, one hundredths-of-a-second ahead of compatriot Angelo Taylor.

A handful of Jamaicans suffered disappointment, when they finished down the field in their events.

Trecia Smith was measured at 13.51m and finished last in the women’s triple jump, which Cuban Yargelis Savigne won with a measurement of 14.74.

Steve Mullings ran 20.73 for firth, Ainsley Waugh 20.80 for seventh, and Marvin Anderson limped over the line in 26.30 for last in the men’s 200 metres, which was won by Olympic bronze medallist Walter Dix of the United States in a meet record 19.86.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJIoY_PRp7c

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he may have had a slow RT but by 10m he was leading.from 0-60m he reminds me of maurice greene from this clip but ater 60m his leg action seems bad to me…i know ive mentioned it before but i cant resist in saying it again and again! whats the story with MLF now…hes like a baby elephant and finishing joint last???

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Maybe MLF will soon join a special competition group - the MILFs?

I was waiting to see this race only because I wanted to see how the young Frenchman will execute his start and drive. With AP next to him lack of power becomes obvious. I suspected this is going to be the case but could not point this out because I have not seen him running against the big boys until now. When he runs against other 19-20 yo boys it is much harder to detect it. He will need more power, much more, if he wants to break 10sec. With a start like that (got smoked by Powell even though Powell had a bad RT) his chances are slim.

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He’s only 20 right, hopefully he will progress in low end power. Whatever they do with him hopefully it won’t be what they did with MLF or Shirvington and some of the other fast juniors.

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I hope so. Still I think MLF has only himself to blame. I know a thing or two about psychology and what I’ve seen when young MLF was performing at his best I did not like. These “little things” that we notice reveal quite a bit about us. Almost like in that TV show - “Lie to me”. Xman Carter is the US version of MLF. This type of guys need to get their heads straight first, otherwise they will continue running 10.30 or 20.60…

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From what I could see the young Frenchman got blown away over the first 30-40m but held his own from then on. He seems to have reasonable top speed and Speed maintenance qualities. I think he is exciting the accleration can be improved far easier then other aspects. This kid will definitely go sub 10s. Reminds me a bit of Kim Collins…MLF and Shirvo were never like this French guy they relied on great starts and were legit world class 60m guys. They were / are to inefficient in their accel and used to much energy to get to 60. It would be interesting to get some splits. But with afew more races at teh top level and good conditions it will happen this year. Lets remember Powell was a 10.0-10.1 guy back in 2003 when he was 20m and was signifcantly smaller and not the prolific great starter he is now…I look fwd to seeing this kid unfold.

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Yes Lemaitre did really well in his first race among the elite. To meet expectations must bring his confidence up. But long term it all depends on if he can stay healthy. Too many youngsters drop out prematurely because of injuries, especially the ones with a frail built.

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Didn’t say he was the same type sprinter as MLF and Shirvington. I pointed out how they were freaks as juniors and never improved and hope the same doesn’t happen to him.
I was stating how hopefully he will not get fucked up like MLF and Shirvington reportedly were with injuries due to overtraining and almost like Bolt was before he went to Mills.