Asafa Powell
FORMER world 100m record holder, Asafa Powell, says he is trying to put the complete race together as he embarks on another attempt at securing the very elusive individual gold at a major international athletics meet.
“I have been running very well all season and I am trying to put the complete race together. I have been focusing a lot more in training now and I am finishing a lot better,” said Powell, who is known for his fast starts.
Powell, 32, who held the world record between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively, revealed that it is much more difficult to make the final eight than years gone by, and runners cannot take it easy by saving their strength for the final.
“Make sure you finished in the top three. The semi-finals sometimes are pretty much like the final. You have to be ready from the start and have to give it everything. You just have to be prepared for it and prepared to run two finals,” he added.
He continued: “At one point you could run 10 seconds flat and find yourself in the final. But now, you have to do under 10 seconds from the first round to the final round”
Powell, who will be participating at his fifth World Championships, has the most sub-10 clockings in the history of the sport. He also boasts a bronze medal in the 2007 championships.
The Jamaican captain has dismissed claims that the Americans are saying they can outrun Jamaica in the relays at the 15th edition of the IAAF World Championship which starts later today, Jamaica time.
Powell was asked his views by moderator of the Puma/JAAA press conference Colin Jackson of Britain at the Nuo Hotel on yesterday.
“The question is, what’s new? They have been saying that since 2008 and I am yet to see it materialise. We are not worried about that, we are just trying to get our season together and just go out there and do what we are supposed to do; talking won’t help right now” said Powell.
Jamaica are the world record holder of the 4x100m relay, lowering it three times in a four-year span between 2008 and 2012.
At Beijing, Jamaica broke the American record of 37.40secs set in 1993 and lowered it to 37.10 seconds. The tiny Caribbean nation then broke that in 2011, running 37.04 seconds and took it even lower with an astonishing 36.84 at the London Olympics in 2012.
“Imagine if we really practised,” Powell asked rhetorically.
Powell then responded to the question whether or not he feels Jamaica can break their own world record in the relays once again.
“You know it’s definitely possible because the only time we were focusing on world records was in 2008. All the other times we wanted to get the stick around,” he revealed.
“So it’s very possible. Any card can play because we have a very strong team. The guys are friends and we talk and I think that kind of friendship and closeness really helps us,” said Powell.