By Gary Smith
Caribbean Net News Sports Correspondent
Email: gary@caribbeannetnews.com
KINGSTON, Jamaica: Despite recent speculation as to a possible clash between 100m world record holder Asafa Powell and World Junior record holder Usain Bolt over 200 metres at the Jamaica National Championships, Bruce James, president of the MVP track club to which Powell belongs, has written off the possibility.
According to reports Powell will only race in the 100m, an event in which he has totally dominated globally in the 2006 term.
Powell won the half-lap title last year in the absence of Bolt, with a personal best of 19.90 seconds. However, he has opted to race only over his specialty this season at the championships.
The Jamaican sizzled to the world-record of 9.77 in 2005 before being injured and forced out of the World Championships in Helsinki. Last season he came back better prepared, which resulted in him twice equalling the world mark in an undefeated season but, despite feeling “stronger than ever,” Powell, with a long, important season ahead of him, has perhaps made the correct choice in sticking with the dash.
The world’s fastest man will start overwhelming favourite to win the 100m in Kingston, especially after his back-to-back sub-10 seconds run of 9.97 and 9.94 earlier this season.
Powell, the Commonwealth Games champion from Melbourne 2006, will clash in the dash with reigning World silver medallist Michael Frater, Marvin Anderson, Dwight Thomas, Chris Williams, teenage star Yohan Blake and Steve Mullings, a man on the comeback from a two year suspension.
“I expect to run a personal best," Mullings told local media on Thursday ahead of an exciting weekend of athletics in the Caribbean island.
"I have prepared myself to be in the top three of the 100m but with everybody running fast it's going to be hard."
Meanwhile with Sherone Simpson being out of the running to repeat her feat from last year, Olympic champion Veronica Campbell, Kerron Stewart, the NCAA 200m champion and Sheri Ann Brooks, the Commonwealth Games champion, will lead the field in the women’s event.
Also expecting to post strong challenges will be Simone Facey and Aileen Bailey, who both have been running well this season.
The men’s 200m will see Bolt racing against Omar Brown, Williams, Mullings, Clement Campbell, Ricardo Williams and Anderson for the crown.
The men’s and women’s 400m should both be exciting as well with Novlene Williams and NCAA champion Ricardo Chambers being the ones to beat.
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