Jamaica’s former 100-metre world record holder, Asafa Powell, is getting closer to his dream goal of clocking his 100th “Sub-10 secs” timing in the 100 metres dash.
On Tuesday (September 6), Powell will get the opportunity of registering his 98th legal-auto “sub-10” in Zagreb, Croatia where he will compete in his pet distance at the final meet of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Challenge series.
He will race against Great Britain’s rising stars, Adam Gemili and their latest “sub-10” performer Joel Fearon, plus Canada’a Aaron Brown, who is also one of the latest to join the Elite Sub-10 Club.
Fearon became the seventh Englishman to achieve the milestone and would be striving to add more to his name.
Based on his current form, Powell should win the race and chalk up his 98th “sub-10”.
Last Thursday (September 1), he showed that he is still a top world class sprinter and produced another outstanding sprinting display to win the IAAF Zurich Diamond League 100 metres dash in 9.94 secs.
The first legally recognised automatic timing “sub-10” was clocked by American Jim Hines (22 years 34 days) in Mexico on October 14, 1968.
Since then, a grand total of 116 athletes have emulated that historic feat with Powell joining the ranks with a 9.99 secs (+1.8 m/s) at local development meet held at the GC Foster College in Spanish Town on June 12, 2004.
Powell’s personal best is 9.72 secs clocked in Lausanne in 2008. His then world record mark of 9.74 was done during the heats of the 2007 IAAF Grand Prix in Reiti. It was the world record until Usain Bolt ran 9.72 to erase it in 2008. Bolt, again at the Beijing Olympic Games lowered it to 9.69 then 9.58 at the 2009 Berlin World Championships.
