BOSTON – Jamaican sprint star Asafa Powell posted a quick 6.54 seconds to win the 60-metre dash at the Boston University last chance indoor meet on Sunday.
Earlier in the heats, the world-leader clocked a time of 6.55 seconds.
Both times were faster than the previous Track and Tennis Center facility record — improving the 6.60 seconds set by Reggie Dixon of Hampton University in 2011.
Powell, who leads the world with a smart 6.49 seconds, was using the meet as part of his preparations in his attempt to take another stab at winning the 100 metres gold medal at the Olympic Games in Rio Brazil, later this summer.
The world-leading time is also a personal best for Powell, who would be one of the favourites to win the gold medal in the 60m should he decides to run at the World Indoor Championships in Portland, Oregon, next month.
After breezing through the qualifying round to take heat one over Miles Lewis (Cts Performance) who ran 6.82 seconds for second place, Powell returned to win the final by .01 seconds faster than his preliminary clocking.
Finishing second in the final was Emre Barnes with a time of 6.70 while Lewis took third in 6.80.
Powell, the former World 100m record holder also has the second-fastest time in the world this season, at 6.50 seconds.
Powell owns a personal best of 9.72 seconds over the 100m dash.
Meanwhile, fellow Jamaicans Kerron Stewart and Natasha Morrison finished 1-2 in the women’s 60m final.
Stewart, a former world and Olympic 100m silver medallist, raced home first in a seasonal-best time of 7.20 seconds, while Morrison, a finalist at the 2015 IAAF World Championships, took second place in 7.22.
Morrison ran the fastest time in the heats, but was edged out in the final.
Ada Udaya took third in 7.56.
Among the stars competing at the meet on Sunday was women’s pole vault Olympic champion and world record holder Jenn Suhr of USA who her pet event with a clearance of 4.85m.
Suhr, who owns the world record of 5.03m, attempted a height of 5.07, but was unsuccessful on all three attempts.
