Jamaican challenger Powell predicts 100m world record
Asafa Powell (R) of Jamaica celebrates winning the
men's 100M at the Norwich Union Grand Prix in London
30 July, 2004. Powell's time was 9.91.
AFP PHOTO/CARL DE SOUZA
Monday, August 16, 2004
ATHENS, Greece (AFP): Jamaica's Asafa Powell
predicted here on Sunday that there could be a 100 metres world record in the
blue riband event at the Athens Olympics. "I
am in world record shape and it could take that to get the gold medal," said
the 21-year-old sprinter who is among the favourites in the race for the
unofficial title of the World's Fastest Man.
The 100m world record is 9.78sec, which US sprinter Tim Montgomery set in
2002. Montgomery, the boyfriend of Marion
Jones and who is currently embroiled in allegations over his possible drug
use, failed to qualify for the Olympics.
Powell's main rivals for the 100m title are the US trio of reigning Olympic
champion Maurice Greene, Justin Gatlin and Shawn Crawford.
Crawford stands on top of this year's rankings with 9.88sec while Powell is
second with 9.91sec. However, Powell has been
the most consistent man this summer, winning two of the three Golden League
meetings where the 100m was contested and twice defeating Greene.
World records have been a regular feature of the 100m at recent Games.
In the 40 years since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, there has been a world record
set in four of the last 10 Olympic 100m finals.
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