Jamaica's Asafa Powell breaks Montgomery’s world record with 9.77 run

Asafa Powell of Jamaica sets a world record with 9.77
sec in the men's 100m ahead of Francis Obikwelouy of
Portugal and Aziz Zakari of Ghana during the Athens
Super Grand Prix Tsiklitira 2005, at the Olympic Stadium
in Athens, 14 June 2005. Powell broke the 100 metres
world record here on Tuesday running 9.77 seconds.
The 22-year-old's mark eclipses the old time of 9.78sec
set by Tim Montgomery in Paris in September 2002.
AFP PHOTO/Louisa Gouliamaki

Asafa Powell shows the scoreboard with his world
record of 9.77 sec in the men's 100m.
AFP PHOTO Louisa Gouliamaki

by Kurt Morris and Gary Smith
for Caribbean Net News

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

ATHENS, Greece:  Just as he promised on Monday that he would produce something special, Jamaican Asafa Powell lived up to all speculations by not only becoming the fastest man in the world this year but the fastest in the history of 100-metre sprinting.

At the IAAF Super Grand Prix "Tsiklitiria 2005" in Athens, Greece on Tuesday, Powell clocked 9.77 to erase the previous mark set by American Tim Montgomery of 9.78 set in Paris in September 2002.

The Jamaican signalled his intentions from the first round following his 9.98-sec coasting run to the finish line.

Thrilled by his efforts, the Jamaican told reporters that he is just happy to set the record.

"I knew I could break the world record and I am very happy I succeeded," Powell told reporters.

"I am just happy to have set the record on a track where Maurice Greene also broke the world record.

"If you ask me what I can do more this year, you will just have to wait until the end of this year's season to see," the powerful Jamaican added.

Powell leads Americans Montgomery and veteran Maurice Greene as the fastest sub-10 seconds runners in the distance. Powell also broke his previous world best time of 9.84 set at the Jamaica International Invitational in Kingston, Jamaica on May 7.

Nigeria's Aziz Zakari finished second to Powell in 9.99-sec while Jamaican Michael Frater took third in 10.03.

Olympic silver medallist Francis Obikwelu finished in fourth place at 10.05.

Simpson made it a sweep for Francis’ camp

Olympic relay gold medallist Sherone Simpson made it a sweep for the Steven Francis MVP camp when she won the women’s race at 11.15. The Jamaican defeated former world indoor and outdoor champion Zhanna Block, who was clocked at 11.19.

Pre-race favourite Ivet Lalova and the Greek pair of María Karastamáti and Athiná Kopsiá failed to face the starters.

Caribbean athletes Jamaican Debbie-Ann Parris and Barbadian record holder Andrea Blackett were no match for reigning world champion Jana Pittman of Australia in the women’s 400m hurdles.

Pittman, who was using this meet as a build up for the World championships in Helsinki, Finland from August 6-14, clocked 53.44 to beat Anna Jesien (54.27) and Surita Febbraio (54.66) into second and third respectively. Parris’ season best 54.96 and Blackett, who also race a season at 55.09, took the fourth and fifth spots.

An unsuccessful day for Smith

It wasn’t a successful day for Jamaica’s world-leader Trecia Smith in the women’s triple jump. Smith leads the world with a 14.91m jump established in Fortaleza on May 18, but the Jamaican, battling with head-winds in the Olympic stadium, could only manage a 13.12 leap, which demoted her to 11th place.

Algeria’s Baya Rahouli with a season best 14.72m effort in the fourth round of jumping won the event over Hrisopiyí Devetzí of Greece at 14.53 and Sudan’s Yamilé Aldama (14.43).

South African Louis van Zyl celebrated his fifth win of the season in the 400m hurdles, following his 48.16 personal best performance on Tuesday. Home favourite Periklís Iakovákis ran a season best 48.24 for second place and Olympic bronze medallist Naman Keïta of France finishing in third place in 48.32.

Jamaican Ian Weakley achieved his third sub-49 time this season after he stopped the clock at 48.83, but only for fifth place in the race.

In a highly competitive men’s high jump contest, Jaroslav Bába from the Czech Republic beat world and Olympic champion Stefan Holm of Sweden by clearing 2.32m to Holm’s 2.30m. In-fact, Holm finished third after he was edged out by Russian jumper Yaroslav Rybakov, who finished with a similar clearance.

In other interesting results, Qatar’s Saif Saeed Shaheen won the men’s 3000m steeplechase in a world best 7:57.28, and South Africa’s Mbulaeni Mulaudzi also took the 800m in a world best time of 1:44.12 to defeat Wilfred Bungei of Kenya 1:44.29 and Youssef Saad Kamel of Bahrain at 1:44.54.

Selected Results

Men

100m

1 Powell Asafa         JAM  9.77world -record
2 Zakari Aziz            GHA  9.99
3 Frater Michael       JAM  10.03
4 Obikwelu Francis  POR 10.04
5 Jarrett Patrick        JAM  10.15

400m hurdles

1 van Zyl Louis         RSA 48.16
2 Iakovákis Periklís  GRE 48.24
3 Keïta Naman         FRA 48.32
4 Plawgo Marek       POL 48.78
5 Weakley Ian         JAM 48.83


Women Results

100m

1 Simpson Sherone  JAM 11.15
2 Block Zhanna          UKR 11.19
3 Koklóni Yeoryía       GRE 11.33
4 Kemasuode Gloria  NGR 11.48

400m hurdles

1 Pittman Jana          AUS 53.44
2 Jesien Anna            POL 54.27
3 Febbraio Surita       RSA 54.66
4 Parris Debbie-Ann  JAM 54.96
5 Blackett Andrea       BAR 55.09

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