Asafa Powell
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Asafa Powell, CD (born 23 November 1982) is a retired Jamaican sprinter who specialised in the 100 metres. He set the 100 metres world record twice, between June 2005 and May 2008 with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds. Powell has consistently broken the 10-second barrier in competition, with his personal best of 9.72 s ranking fourth on the all-time list of men's 100-metre athletes. As of 1 September 2016, Powell has broken the ten-second barrier more times than anyone else—97 times. He currently holds the world record for the 100-yard dash with a time of 9.09 s, set on 27 May 2010 in
Ostrava, Czech Republic Ostrava (; pl, Ostrawa; german: Ostrau ) is a city in the north-east of the Czech Republic, and the capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region. It has about 280,000 inhabitants. It lies from the border with Poland, at the confluences of four rive ...
. At the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, he won a gold medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay. Powell competed in the 100 m at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics, finishing fifth in 2004 and 2008 and eighth after injuring his groin during the race in 2012. At the 2007 Osaka World Championships, he won a bronze and a silver medal in the 100 m and 4 x 100 m relay respectively, and he was successful at the
Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...
, winning two golds and one silver medal. At the 2009 World Championships, he won the 100 m bronze and relay gold. Powell has won five times at the IAAF World Athletics Final and was the former 100 m world record holder in the event. In 2013, Powell tested positive for the stimulant oxilofrine along with teammate
Sherone Simpson Sherone Simpson (born 12 August 1984) is a Jamaican track and field sprint athlete.
and voluntarily withdrew from the
2013 World Athletics Championships The 14th IAAF World Championships in Athletics (Moscow 2013) () was an international athletics (sport), athletics competition held in Moscow, Russia, from 10–18 August 2013. Initially, Russia at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics, Russi ...
as a result, though both maintained they did not take any banned supplements knowingly or willfully. On 10 April 2014, they received an 18-month suspension from competing, which was set to expire in December that year. However the
Court of Arbitration for Sport The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS; french: Tribunal arbitral du sport, ''TAS'') is an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland and its c ...
(CAS) lifted both athletes' suspensions on 14 July 2014, finding that the positive tests were caused by the presence of oxilofrine, undisclosed by the manufacturer, in a supplement taken by the pair.


Biography and sprinting career

Born in
Spanish Town Spanish Town ( jam, label=Jamaican Creole, Panish Tong) is the capital and the largest town in the parish of St. Catherine in the historic county of Middlesex, Jamaica. It was the Spanish and British capital of Jamaica from 1534 until 1872. Th ...
, Jamaica, Asafa Powell is the youngest of six sons of two
ministers Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of governme ...
. Asafa attended Ewarton Primary School and Charlemont High School, both in St. Catherine, Jamaica. Powell planned to be a mechanic before he took up running while studying in
Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Inter ...
. His eldest brother
Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter, and record producer. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock and world mus ...
, was a 60 m finalist in the 1999 World Indoor Championships. Running runs in the family: His brothers clocked 9.5 seconds for the 100 yd dash, his mother 11.4 s, and his father 10.2 s. Powell is a member of the MVP (Maximising Velocity and Power) Track & Field Club based at the
University of Technology, Jamaica The University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech, Ja.), formerly the College of Arts, Science and Technology, is a public university in Jamaica. History The university was founded as the Jamaica Institute of Technology in 1958. The following ye ...
and has been coached by Stephen Francis since 2001.


2000–2005: Early career

Powell represented his school Charlemont High at the ISSA High School Championships. On 11 April he finished fourth in the Class 1 200 m, in 23.07 with a −1.7 m/s headwind. On 13 April, he finished third in his heat of the Boy's Class 1 100 m, recording 11.45 with a −2.3 m/s headwind. Neither time recorded in the heats was quick enough to advance him to the next round of competition. Powell again represented Charlemont High at the ISSA High School Boy And Girls Championships, finishing seventh in the Class 1 100 m Final. Recognizing some talent, coach Stephen Francis started coaching Powell one week later. The coach looked for a way to give the tall teenager a faster start. After searching the island, Stephen Francis found a 100 m stretch of road with a 10% slope and trains his runners on that.Yoriko Koizumi, "Miracle Body," documentary by National Film Board of Canada and NHK Japan, with information from Stephen Francis and research from Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, Waseda University, and Tsukuba University<, 2008 Powell vindicated Francis by winning the Boys Under-20 100 m event in 10.50 seconds at the JAAA National Championships on 22 June. At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Powell finished fifth in the semi-finals of the 100 m event, setting a personal best of 10.26 s. Powell, along with
Michael Frater Michael Frater O.D (born 6 October 1982) is a Jamaican retired sprinter who specialised in the 100 metres event. He won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships and a gold medal at the 2003 Pan American Games for the event. He has al ...
,
Dwight Thomas Dwight Thomas O.D (born 23 September 1980) is a Jamaican sprinter, mainly competing in the 100 metres event and more recently the 110 m hurdles. Career He won the bronze medal at the IAAF World Junior Championships in 1998 at the 100 m and ...
and Christopher Williams formed the
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
n 4×100 m relay team that went on to win a silver medal. Powell finished just behind
Darren Campbell Darren Andrew Campbell, (born 12 September 1973) is a British former sprint athlete. He was the sprint coach at Wasps Rugby Club for the 2015–16 season. He competed in the 100 metres and 200 metres, as well as the 4 × 100 metres relay. ...
in the last leg of the relay, with both men finishing in 38.62 s. Powell won the Jamaican 100 m National Championship in 2003. National Champions 100 m Powell came to attention within the world of athletics at the 2003 World Championships, when he suffered the ignominy of being 'the other athlete' disqualified for a
false start In sports, a false start is a disallowed start, usually due to a movement by a participant before (or in some cases after) being signaled or otherwise permitted by the rules to start. Depending on the sport and the event, a false start can result ...
in the quarter-final. This was when
Jon Drummond Jonathan A. Drummond (born September 9, 1968) is an American athlete, winner of gold medal in 4 × 100 m relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Career Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jon Drummond is known for being among the world's best starte ...
memorably refused to leave the track having suffered the same fate, both athletes moved less than 0.1 s after the gun had fired, with Powell's reactions being timed at 0.086 s. Six days later Powell was added to the 4 × 100 m relay team for the semi-final, running as the
anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek ἄγ ...
. He helped the team qualify for the final, recording the second fastest time. Powell never had a chance to run for a medal in the final as the second baton exchange was not executed cleanly and the Jamaican team failed to finish. During the 2003 season, Powell won two
IAAF Grand Prix The IAAF Grand Prix was an annual, global circuit of one-day outdoor track and field competitions organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). It was created in 1985 as the IAAF's first seasonal track and field circu ...
events, one of which was an AF Golden League event. He finished seventh in 10.23 s in the 100 m at the IAAF World Athletics Final. On 12 June, Powell recorded his first sub-10 100 m race time (9.99 s +1.8  m/s) while participating in the National Junior Track and Field Championships, held at the GC Foster College in Spanish Town. Two weeks later Powell became one of the favourites for a medal in the 100 m at the 2004 Athens Olympics after winning the Jamaican National Championships with a personal best time of 9.91 s. Although he ended the season with a record-equaling nine sub-10 second runs, Powell finished just fifth in the highly competitive Olympic final, with a time of 9.94 s. Following this he pulled out of the 200 m final, even though he had already qualified eighth for it earlier on. Powell did not get the chance to run for a medal in the 4 × 100 m relay, as the Jamaican team failed to qualify for the final with a season best 38.71 s fourth-place finish in their heat. Following his Olympic disappointment Powell set a new national record of 9.87 s for the 100 m at the
Memorial Van Damme The Memorial Van Damme is an annual athletics event at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, that takes place in late August or early September. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now the final event of the Diamond L ...
in
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on 3 September. He recorded five IAAF Grand Prix wins in 2004. In addition, he became the first man to win both the 100 m and 200 m races at the
World Athletics Final The IAAF World Athletics Final was an annual track and field competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). It was inaugurated in 2003 to replace the IAAF Grand Prix Final. The competition was part of the ...
in championship record time. Powell was world ranked number one for the 100 m and number four for the 200 m at the end of the season. Powell set a new national record of 9.84 s at the Jamaica International Invitational in May. He gained some consolation for his Olympic performance by breaking the 100 m
world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
in
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on 14 June 2005, setting a time of 9.77 s, beating American
Tim Montgomery Timothy Montgomery (born January 28, 1975) is an American former track sprinter who specialized in the 100-meter dash. In 2005, he was stripped of his records—including a now-void men's 100-meter world record of 9.78 seconds set in 2002—a ...
's 2002 record of 9.78 s (which was later annulled due to doping charges against Montgomery) by just 0.01 s. Coincidentally, Powell achieved the feat on the same track as Maurice Greene's 1999 world record run of 9.79 s.
Wind assistance In track and field, wind assistance is the benefit that an athlete receives during a race or event as registered by a wind gauge. Wind is one of many forms of weather that can affect sport. Due to a tailwind helping to enhance the speed of the at ...
for Powell was measured at 1.6 m/s, within the
IAAF World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...
legal limit of 2.0 m/s. Powell again won the 100 m final at the Jamaican National Championships. A groin injury in July cut short his season and forced him to miss the World Championships. His season ended with just two IAAF Grand Prix event wins. Despite his shortened season, Powell had the three fastest 100 m times of the year, received the Caribbean And Central American (CAC) Male Athlete of the Year award, and ranked second in the world.


2006–2007: Worldwide success

2006 was Powell's most successful season. He won the 2006 Commonwealth Games 100 metres race after a drama-filled semi-final which saw two disqualifications and three false starts. Powell himself ran into another competitor's lane while looking at the scoreboard, however he was held not to have impeded the runner. He also anchored the 4 × 100 m relay team, and finished the Commonwealth Games with two gold medals. In May, he won the 100 m at the Jamaica International Invitational in 9.95 s. In addition to winning the 200 m at the Jamaican National Championships in June, he won ten 100 m IAAF Grand Prix events, including all six Golden League events. Powell then equalled his world record time on 11 June 2006 at
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with wind assistance measured at +1.5 m/s. The exact time was 9.7629 s, which was rounded up to 9.77 s as per IAAF rules. On 18 August 2006 in
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, Powell equalled it again for the second time with wind assistance at +1.0 m/s. He won his sixth
IAAF Golden League The IAAF Golden League was an annual series of outdoor track and field meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Athletes who won specific events at all of the series meetings were awarded a jackpot prize, ...
event (for the 100 m) in the same season, thus earning him a total of $250,000 in prize money. Powell also won the 100 m at the World Athletics Final, again setting a new championship record on 9 September. One week later at the
World Cup in Athletics The IAAF Continental Cup was an international track and field competition organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 200 ...
, the Americas team anchored by Powell recorded a DNF. In October, Powell again received the
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And Central American (CAC) Male Athlete of the Year award. On 12 November 2006, he was awarded the title of 2006 Male
IAAF World Athlete of the Year The World Athlete of the Year award is a prize that can be won by athletes participating in events within the sport of athletics organised by World Athletics (formerly named IAAF), including track and field, cross country running, road running, and ...
along with a cheque for $100,000. He also received the honour of Track & Field Athlete of the Year for 2006. On 5 January 2007, Powell received the Commonwealth Games Sports Foundation Athlete of the Year award. On 3 February he was honoured at the International Sports Group (ISG) Awards Banquet, held in New York. In addition, Powell was nominated for the
Laureus World Sports Awards The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony honouring individuals and teams from the world of sports along with sporting achievements throughout the year. It was established in 1999 by Laureus Sport for Good Foundation foundin ...
Sportsman of the Year award. Suffering from knee
Tendinitis Tendinopathy, a type of tendon disorder that results in pain, swelling, and impaired function. The pain is typically worse with movement. It most commonly occurs around the shoulder (rotator cuff tendinitis, biceps tendinitis), elbow (tennis elbo ...
and missing weeks of training Powell missed competing at the
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and the Jamaica International Invitational in May. Powell was again the Jamaican National Champion for the 100 m. Unfortunately, Powell again injured his groin while running the final at the Jamaica Championships. He only managed to finish third in the 100 m final at the 2007 World Championships in
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, Japan, behind
Tyson Gay Tyson Gay (born August 9, 1982) is an American track and field sprinter who competes in the 100 and 200 meters. His 100 m personal best of 9.69 seconds is the American record and makes him tied for the second fastest athlete over 100 m ...
, who was considered Powell's biggest rival building up to the Championships.
Derrick Atkins Derrick Atkins (born 5 January 1984) is a Bahamian sprinter. Atkins specializes in the 100 metres event and also holds the national record, with a time of 9.91 seconds. He is the second cousin of former world record holder Asafa Powell. Atki ...
, Powell's second cousin, came second in 9.91 s. Powell himself finished in a time of 9.96 s (running in a 0.5 m/s headwind) after being passed by
Tyson Tyson is a male given name of old French origin meaning 'high-spirited', 'fire'. It is from this that a surname arose 'son of Tyson'. Surname *Alan Tyson (1926–2000), British musicologist * Barbara Tyson (born 1964), Canadian actress * Bill Tys ...
and
Derrick Atkins Derrick Atkins (born 5 January 1984) is a Bahamian sprinter. Atkins specializes in the 100 metres event and also holds the national record, with a time of 9.91 seconds. He is the second cousin of former world record holder Asafa Powell. Atki ...
in the late stages of the race. Later, Powell admitted that he panicked and gave up after seeing
Tyson Tyson is a male given name of old French origin meaning 'high-spirited', 'fire'. It is from this that a surname arose 'son of Tyson'. Surname *Alan Tyson (1926–2000), British musicologist * Barbara Tyson (born 1964), Canadian actress * Bill Tys ...
pass him, allowing
Derrick Atkins Derrick Atkins (born 5 January 1984) is a Bahamian sprinter. Atkins specializes in the 100 metres event and also holds the national record, with a time of 9.91 seconds. He is the second cousin of former world record holder Asafa Powell. Atki ...
also to overtake. Former American sprinter Michael Johnson was critical of Powell's performance, stating: However, Powell did help to win the silver medal in the 4 × 100 m relay race. Running the anchor leg for the Jamaican team, he came from fifth and passed
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at the line to help record a Jamaican national record of 37.89 s. The
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meanwhile took gold. On 9 September 2007, in the opening heats of the IAAF Grand Prix in Rieti,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, Powell ran a new world record time of 9.74 s (+1.7 m/s) in the 100 m, thus fulfilling the promise he had made earlier after his bronze medal in
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
, that he would break the record by the end of the year. This was intended to make up for the disappointment of not becoming World Champion. Remarkably, Powell eased up in the final few metres of his record-setting run, indicating that he was saving his strength for the final. In the final itself, Powell finished in 9.78 s (0 m/s windspeed) and bettered his semi-final time when adjusted for wind assistance. Unfortunately, Powell ended his season on 30 September with a left hamstring injury, which came about while running in the lead of the 200 m race at the Super Track & Field meet in Yokohama, Japan. Powell finished 2007 with a total of five IAAF Grand Prix event wins, plus his second consecutive World Athletic Final 100 m win, with yet another championship record. For the third consecutive year Powell won the Caribbean And Central American (CAC) Male Athlete of the Year award. Powell closed the year receiving the IAAF Performance of the Year award, for his 9.74 s world record, and was ranked second in the world.


2008–2009: Olympics and World Championships

On 29 January 2008, Powell received the RJR Sports Foundation's 2007 Sportsman of the Year award. Powell's 2008 season started much as his 2007 season ended: with another injury. Powell was forced to pull out of the Sydney Grand Prix meeting, having suffered a gash to his left knee that required four stitches. The injury was a result of tripping on the steps of his home, hours before getting on the flight to Sydney on 12 February. Powell was again injured in April, this time with damage to his pectoral muscles. The injury forced Powell out of competition for two months, and was sustained while weight training in
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
during mid-April. Surgery was required, and a visible scar was left on his right underarm. On 31 May, fellow Jamaican
Usain Bolt Usain St. Leo Bolt, , (; born 21 August 1986) is a retired Jamaican sprinter, widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He is the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay. An eight- ...
ran a time of 9.72 s at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York, breaking Powell's 3-year dominance of the 100 m world record. On 11 July, Powell suffered his third injury of 2008 while leading in Heat 1 of the Golden Gala Roma, eventually finishing fifth. He had injured his groin (described as a "strain" and a "cramp"), and was forced to miss the next two events on the Grand Prix schedule. Powell made his comeback at the DN Galan meet, where he beat the new World Record holder Bolt, in a close race. The meet's top performers were a Jamaican 1–2–3–4 with
Nesta Carter Nesta Carter OD (born October 11, 1985) is a retired Jamaican sprinter who specialized in the 100 metres event. Carter was successful as part of the Jamaican 4 x 100 metres relay team, taking gold and setting successive world records at the 2 ...
and Michael Frater following the pair. This top four would later combine to run the 4 × 100 m relay at the Olympics. Prior to the 2008 Olympics in
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, Powell hit back at the claims saying he lacked the mental strength needed to win an Olympic gold medal. Despite his words, the 100 m final saw Powell again finish in a disappointing fifth, recording a time of 9.95 s. Teammates Bolt and
Michael Frater Michael Frater O.D (born 6 October 1982) is a Jamaican retired sprinter who specialised in the 100 metres event. He won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships and a gold medal at the 2003 Pan American Games for the event. He has al ...
also raced in the final. Bolt won and broke the record he set months earlier (finishing in 9.69 s) and Frater came sixth, recording his first sub-10 clocking at 9.97 s. Seven days later, Powell finally got his first Olympic medal as he anchored the Jamaican 4 × 100 m relay team to victory, helping establish a new world record in the process. His split time was recorded at 8.70 s (USATF High Performance Registered Split Analysis), bettering his previous record of 8.84 s set in Osaka, 2007. This is the fastest electronically timed anchor run in history, as
Bob Hayes Robert Lee Hayes (December 20, 1942 – September 18, 2002), nicknamed "Bullet Bob", was an Olympic gold medalist sprinter who then became an American football split end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys (for 11 seasons). ...
was hand timed as running between 8.6 and 8.9 seconds in the
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. The gold medal was later vacated by the IOC in 2017 when a retest of teammate Nesta Carter found the presence of the prohibited substance methylhexaneamine. On 2 September 2008, Powell ran a new personal best of 9.72 s in the 100 m with windspeed measured at +0.2 m/s. He accomplished this feat at the Athletissima Grand Prix in
Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...
,
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. After the run, he said that Bolt's record performance at the Olympics had inspired him to target a time of 9.59 s: Powell was optimistic about his future chances on the track, and philosophical as to why he could not peak in past major championships: Following his fifth-place finish in
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
on 16 August, Powell recorded seven consecutive 100 m races under 9.90 s, including two races under 9.80 s. In addition, 2008 was Powell's second-best season on the Grand Prix circuit, claiming seven victories, plus his third consecutive win (and fourth overall) in the 100 m at the World Athletics Final. On his return to Jamaica, Powell was honoured in a homecoming celebration and received an
Order of Distinction The Order of Distinction is a national order in the Jamaican honours system. It is the sixth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament (''The National Honours and Awards Act'') ...
(Commander Rank) in recognition of his achievements at the Olympics. For the second consecutive year Powell ranked second in the world. Powell opened his season on 31 January at the Grace Jackson Invitational, held at Stadium East, Kingston, Jamaica. He ran the
400 metres The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics (sport), athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor runn ...
, winning his heat in 47.75 s, placing him second overall in the four heat time-final. Powell ran the anchor leg for two relay teams at the Milo Western Relays held at the GC Foster College on 14 February. In his first race, his MVP team recorded a new meet record and world leading time of 38.72 s for the 4 × 100 m relay. Later, he was timed at 46.27 s for his leg of the 4 × 400 metres relay, again winning the race for his MVP team. Powell next competed at the Sydney Track Classic in
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on 28 February, again running the anchor leg in the 4 x 100 m relay and winning it in a new world leading time of 38.62 s. Two hours later, he ran a 400 m race, finishing 4th in a new personal best 45.94 s and shaving 1.23 s off his previous best time. After the 400 m race, Powell said: Five days later, Powell ran his first 100 m race of the season. Competing at the Melbourne Track Classic he ran a world leading 10.23 s, wind measuring −1.4 m/s on the coldest day of the year to date. On 16 April, Powell was nominated for the Laureus World Team of the Year award, as a member of the 2008 Jamaica Olympic Sprint Team. Powell then found himself involved in controversy when he was a last-minute "no show" at the UTech Track and Field Classic on 18 April. He had previously been advertised to run the 200 m and 4 × 100 m relay races. Powell attended as a spectator. A press conference called three days later by the MVP Track Club did not fully answer questions as to why Powell did not compete. The matter was reported to the Jamaica Fair Trading Commission which started investigations on 23 April. Powell was next to run at the
Penn Relays The Penn Relays (also Penn Relays Carnival) is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. In 2012, there were ...
on 25 April, but on the morning of the event, the Jamaica Observer reported that he had withdrawn from the 4 × 100 m relay. His manager Paul Doyle stated that Powell would not run due to concerns with his ankle while running the curve on the
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track. The Jamaica Observer cited a "highly placed source" when reporting that Powell had turned his ankle in training at Utech. Despite the report, Powell ran the anchor leg of the relay but aggravated the ankle injury, pulled up and finished ninth in 41.24 s. Scheduled to run at the IAAF Super Grand Prix in
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on 8 May, Powell withdrew from the event, citing the need for sufficient time for his injured ankle to properly heal. He finished seventh in his first event returning from injury, the
Reebok Grand Prix The USATF New York Grand Prix is an annual athletics meeting held at Icahn Stadium in New York City, United States. First started in 2005 as the Reebok Grand Prix and then Adidas Grand Prix, it was previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events. ...
held in New York at
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on 30 May. When interviewed he stated that his ankle was very weak but not painful. He finished second in his next event, the
Prefontaine Classic The Prefontaine Classic, an Oregon Track Club event, is one of the premier track and field meets in the United States, held in Eugene, Oregon. Every year it draws a world caliber field to compete at Hayward Field on the campus of the University ...
eight days later. On 27 June, he qualified for the 100 m at the
2009 World Championships in Athletics The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics () were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg ...
with a second-place finish in 9.97 s at the Jamaican national championships. At the
Bislett Games The Bislett Games is an annual track and field meeting at the Bislett Stadium in Oslo, Norway. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the Diamond League. History The first international athletics meeting at Bisl ...
on 3 July, Powell overcame a poor start to win the 100 m in a 10.07 s photo finish. Four days later he recorded the same time in winning the Athletissima 100 m. Although he improved his season's best to 9.88 s, he finished second to
Tyson Gay Tyson Gay (born August 9, 1982) is an American track and field sprinter who competes in the 100 and 200 meters. His 100 m personal best of 9.69 seconds is the American record and makes him tied for the second fastest athlete over 100 m ...
at the Golden Gala Roma on 10 July. Powell next ran the 100 m at the International Meeting of Athletics' Sports Solidarity, a charity event that encourages the participation of disabled athletes, finishing third. At the
2009 World Championships in Athletics The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics () were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg ...
, Powell took bronze in the finals of the 100 m meet with a time of 9.84 seconds, while compatriot Bolt broke his own world record by running 9.58 seconds. Eight days later, on 22 August, Powell helped
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
claim gold in the 4 × 100 m relay by running the anchor leg. The time of 37.31 seconds set was a new Championship Record for the event.


2010–2011

Asafa Powell opened his 2010 season on 20 February at the UWI Invitational Meet in
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
by competing in the 400 m. He won his heat in a time of 47.56 s but was placed 3rd overall according to his time. He then ran the 200 m at the UTech Classic on 17 April 2010, also in his homeland. He competed in the 200 m in heavy rain and cold conditions. Powell opened up a huge lead in the first 100 m, after which he slowed drastically and won his heat in 21.27 s in a 1 m/s headwind. Later, it was reported that Powell had suffered minor cramps on his left calf muscles, which was why he had to slow down. Powell was next scheduled to run in the highly anticipated 4x100 m Penn Relays featuring Jamaica Yellow, and competing against
Usain Bolt Usain St. Leo Bolt, , (; born 21 August 1986) is a retired Jamaican sprinter, widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He is the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay. An eight- ...
(Jamaica Black). However, he pulled out of the race as it was reported by his assistant coach that he had an injured toe, which would need some time to heal. At the IAAF Diamond League in
Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...
, Powell made a wind aided time of 9.75 s in the heat and 9.81 s in the final, also wind-aided. He subsequently set a 100 m world leading time of 9.83 s. En route to this performance, he also set the rarely run 100 yards dash world best at 9.07 s, beating the previous record of 9.21 s set by Charlie Greene. Powell next competed at the DKF Bislett Games in
Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, where he powered to a splendid victory with a wind-aided 9.72 s. A week later, he competed at the Golden Gala in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, where he overcame a very poor reaction time at the start to take another victory in a World Leading time of 9.82 s. It was reported that Powell ended his six-year contract with leading sports brand
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
due to sponsorship problems, and rumours spread that he has a new contract with fast upcoming Chinese sports brand
Li-Ning Li-Ning Company Limited is a Chinese sportswear and sports equipment company founded by former Olympic gymnast Li Ning. The company endorses a number of athletes and teams worldwide. History The company was founded in 1989 by Li Ning, a former ...
. Asafa next competed in the 200 m of the Jamaican Senior Trials where he won the final in 19.97 s, his second fastest ever. There, for the first time, he promoted his new
Li Ning Li Ning (born March 10, 1963 in Liuzhou, Guangxi) is a Chinese retired gymnast, billionaire entrepreneur, and the founder of the eponymous sportswear company Li-Ning. Gymnastics career Li started training at the age of eight and was select ...
outfit. Powell next competed in
Gateshead Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Sage ...
where he got off to a terrific start but lost to fast finishing
Tyson Gay Tyson Gay (born August 9, 1982) is an American track and field sprinter who competes in the 100 and 200 meters. His 100 m personal best of 9.69 seconds is the American record and makes him tied for the second fastest athlete over 100 m ...
, who took the victory in 9.94 s to Powell's 9.96 s in a strong 1.7 m/s headwind. Powell was not very disappointed as he mentioned that he got too relaxed, thus allowing
Gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
to outdo him in the final strides. The next race in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
against
Usain Bolt Usain St. Leo Bolt, , (; born 21 August 1986) is a retired Jamaican sprinter, widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He is the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay. An eight- ...
was a disappointing one. Although he had a good start, Bolt caught him at halfway point, and Asafa began to lose his fluent running form. He finished 2nd to Bolt in 9.91 s, 0.07 s slower than his rival and also into a slight headwind. Asafa said that he had a very bad race, which he hoped to improve in his upcoming races. Unfortunately for Powell, there was not a 'next race' for him. He picked up strains from his
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
meeting, which aggravated to hamstring and back problems. Powell missed his next two outings where he was scheduled to clash against Bolt and
Gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
. Powell ended his splendid 2010 season on a disappointing note, even though he expressed satisfaction on the races that he competed for the year. Asafa opened his 2011 season on 16 April at the National Stadium in
Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Inter ...
. He ran the 200 m where he came in third after what looked to be a good first 140 m, slowing down significantly at the last quarter of the race. His time was 20.55 s for the race behind
Yohan Blake Yohan Blake (born 26 December 1989) is a Jamaican sprinter specialising in the 100-metre and 200-metre sprint races. He won gold at the 100 m at the 2011 World Athletics Championships as the youngest 100 m world champion ever, and a silver m ...
and
Daniel Bailey Daniel Bakka Everton Bailey (born 9 September 1986) is a sprinter from Antigua and Barbuda who specializes in the 100m. Career Bailey represented Antigua and Barbuda at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the 2008 Summer Ol ...
. Powell ran his next race was the 4 x 100 m relay, USA vs The World, at the Penn Relays 2011, on 28 April. He ran the unusual first leg for
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
as he blasted off like a bullet to give Jamaica the lead.
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
won the event in a world leading time of 38.33 s, ahead of USA Red and USA Blue teams respectively. He stated after the run that he was in good shape, and looking forward to do great things in the year ahead. Powell next ran the 200 m at the Jamaica International Invitational Meet on 7 May. He looked promising in the first 120 m, after which he slowed down drastically, finishing in last place with a time of 21.40 s, in a race won by Jamaican Nickel Ashmeade. He later stated that he felt a minor pain in his hamstring, and backed off as a precaution, but insisted that it was nothing serious. In the second meeting of the
2011 IAAF Diamond League The 2011 IAAF Diamond League (also known as the 2011 Samsung Diamond League for sponsorship purposes) was the second edition of the Diamond League, an annual series of fourteen one-day track and field meetings. The series began on 6 May in Doha, Q ...
at
Shanghai Golden Grand Prix The Diamond League Shanghai is an annual athletics event at the Shanghai Stadium in Shanghai, China as part of the Diamond League. The meeting was founded as the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix in 2005. The meet assumed its current name in 2010. From ...
, Powell won the 100 m with a time of 9.95 seconds. Powell next ran at the IAAF Diamond League in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
against
Usain Bolt Usain St. Leo Bolt, , (; born 21 August 1986) is a retired Jamaican sprinter, widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He is the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay. An eight- ...
on 26 May. Powell had a superb start and mid, but he faded towards the end, only to allow the world record holder to surpass him in the final 10–12 m of the race. Bolt won in 9.91 s, and Powell came second in 9.93s. He said that he had lost focus, but is confident about beating Bolt after what he had done that day. Powell next competed in the IAAF World Challenge in
Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populati ...
,
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
, in a low key meet. There, after running the first 20 m, he pulled up and finished last in 36.13 s, citing a precaution against a serious hamstring injury. Reports said that it was nothing serious, and he would be ready for the Jamaican Trials later in the month. At the Jamaican Trials 23–24 July, Powell looked impressive as he qualified through the rounds. He posted a season best of 9.90s in his semi-final, despite easing off in the final 1 5m. Later, after overcoming a bad start, Powell won the final to be titled National Champion for the fifth time in his career. He won in a time of 10.08 s into a 1.8 m/s headwind.
Yohan Blake Yohan Blake (born 26 December 1989) is a Jamaican sprinter specialising in the 100-metre and 200-metre sprint races. He won gold at the 100 m at the 2011 World Athletics Championships as the youngest 100 m world champion ever, and a silver m ...
and Steve Mullings were second and third respectively with only 0.01 s separating them. Next up for Powell was the Diamond League Athletissima in
Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...
on 30 June. In chilly conditions not ideal for sprinting, the former world record holder bulleted out of his blocks and ran to the tape, recording a world-leading 9.78 s with a following wind of 1.0 m/s. Powell was indeed happy with his strong performance, his fastest in three years, and full of confidence about the rest of the season and IAAF World Championships in
Daegu Daegu (, , literally 'large hill', 대구광역시), formerly spelled Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
a in late August. Next up for Powell was the IAAF Diamond League Meeting in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
on 10 July. He became the first man in history to break the 10 seconds barrier in the Sir Alexander Stadium when he clocked a very easy looking 9.95 s in his heat. Later, in the final, he eased to a 9.91 s victory where compatriots
Nesta Carter Nesta Carter OD (born October 11, 1985) is a retired Jamaican sprinter who specialized in the 100 metres event. Carter was successful as part of the Jamaican 4 x 100 metres relay team, taking gold and setting successive world records at the 2 ...
and Michael Frater finished second and third respectively. Powell was satisfied with both his races, stating that he took both the races easy due to very chilly and rainy conditions. Asafa seemed more and more confident heading into the World Championships in late August. Powell next competed on 30 July in
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He ran 9.90 s in his heats and eased through the final to win in 9.86 s, having followed winds of 1.8 m/s and 2.0 m/s respectively, in cold conditions. Powell was next slated to run the Aviva London Grand Prix, but he pulled out, citing a groin strain. Later in late August, just a couple of days before the start of the World Championships in
Daegu Daegu (, , literally 'large hill', 대구광역시), formerly spelled Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is ...
, Powell shocked the world by pulling out of the highly anticipated 100 m as his groin strain was re-aggravated and did not allow him to compete. Powell expressed great disappointment but vowed to come back strong for the London Olympics in 2012, but still hoped to run the 4x100 m relay in
Daegu Daegu (, , literally 'large hill', 대구광역시), formerly spelled Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is ...
. However, he was unfit to run the relay and had to watch his compatriots win gold in a world record time of 37.04 s. Powell competed in the 100 m at the Diamond League Final in Zurich on 9 September. He looked very impressive in the first 60 m, but faded to second place as newly crowned world champion,
Yohan Blake Yohan Blake (born 26 December 1989) is a Jamaican sprinter specialising in the 100-metre and 200-metre sprint races. He won gold at the 100 m at the 2011 World Athletics Championships as the youngest 100 m world champion ever, and a silver m ...
, took victory in 9.82 s. Powell registered a 9.95 s run, which was impressive given the fact that his injury was still present. By completing the race, the sprinter took the Samsung Diamond Trophy with $40,000 in cash. Powell ended his season with another injury, almost a repeat of year 2010, where he showed excellent form in the first half of the year but unfortunately suffered injuries.


2012 London Olympics

In a ceremony held on 24 February, Powell received the University of Technology (UTech) Chancellor's Medal as well as Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Award International Ambassador role. He ran a personal best for the
60 metres 60 metres, or 60-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior at ...
at the
Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix The Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix, formerly known as Aviva Indoor Grand Prix, is an annual indoor track and field competition which is held in mid-February at the Arena Birmingham in Birmingham, England. It is one of a handful of events to hold I ...
, setting a time of 6.50 seconds. On the 2012 IAAF Diamond League circuit, he was narrowly beaten by
Justin Gatlin Justin Alexander Gatlin (born February 10, 1982) is a retired American sprinter who competed in the 60 meters, 100 meters, and 200 meters. He is the 2004 Olympic Champion in the 100 meters, the 2005 and 2017 World Champion in the 100 meters, the ...
in
Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...
(runner-up in 9.88 seconds), then won the 100 m at the
Shanghai Golden Grand Prix The Diamond League Shanghai is an annual athletics event at the Shanghai Stadium in Shanghai, China as part of the Diamond League. The meeting was founded as the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix in 2005. The meet assumed its current name in 2010. From ...
a week later. On 5 August 2012, Asafa Powell ran in the final of the 100 m race at the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. After back-to-back 5th-place finishes in
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
and
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, 2004 and 2008 respectively, Powell had his most disastrous final yet when he finished dead last with a time of 11.99 seconds, pulling up after seeing others pulling ahead of him, but it was ultimately due to a persistent
groin In human anatomy, the groin (the adjective is ''inguinal'', as in inguinal canal) is the junctional area (also known as the inguinal region) between the abdomen and the thigh on either side of the pubic bone. This is also known as the medial comp ...
injury. Powell said:
"It was my old groin injury that reoccurred. I felt it and it started to go. You never want to get injured, but it is a bit of a disaster when it happens in the Olympic final."
Usain Bolt Usain St. Leo Bolt, , (; born 21 August 1986) is a retired Jamaican sprinter, widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He is the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay. An eight- ...
took the gold with
Yohan Blake Yohan Blake (born 26 December 1989) is a Jamaican sprinter specialising in the 100-metre and 200-metre sprint races. He won gold at the 100 m at the 2011 World Athletics Championships as the youngest 100 m world champion ever, and a silver m ...
getting the silver and
Justin Gatlin Justin Alexander Gatlin (born February 10, 1982) is a retired American sprinter who competed in the 60 meters, 100 meters, and 200 meters. He is the 2004 Olympic Champion in the 100 meters, the 2005 and 2017 World Champion in the 100 meters, the ...
the bronze. As a result, Powell along with longtime rival
Tyson Gay Tyson Gay (born August 9, 1982) is an American track and field sprinter who competes in the 100 and 200 meters. His 100 m personal best of 9.69 seconds is the American record and makes him tied for the second fastest athlete over 100 m ...
who finished 4th, remain as two of the three fastest men of all time to never have won any individual Olympic medals of any type. After the race,
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
's track and field manager Ludlow Watts lavished praise on Powell:
Powell actually started this great change in our sprinting, and he's still a champion.
Following the race, Powell had an ultrasound showing new tears in his adductor muscles as well as scar tissue in a previous injury. The groin injury appears to be season-ending as manager Paul Doyle believes he will miss the remainder of the year. "I don't think it looks good for the rest of the season for Asafa," he lamented. Powell was not able to compete for Jamaica in the men's 4 × 100 m relay on 10 August. Powell released an apparel and accessories line branded "Sub 10 King" and many others, also opening up his personal website www.iamasafa.com for people's viewing and a platform to purchase his products.


2013-14 Suspension & Appeal

On 14 July 2013 Powell announced he had had tested positive for the banned drug oxilofrine in 2013 and withdrew from the
2013 World Athletics Championships The 14th IAAF World Championships in Athletics (Moscow 2013) () was an international athletics (sport), athletics competition held in Moscow, Russia, from 10–18 August 2013. Initially, Russia at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics, Russi ...
as a result, but maintained that he did not take any banned supplements knowingly or willfully. Powell and fellow Jamaican sprinter,
Sherone Simpson Sherone Simpson (born 12 August 1984) is a Jamaican track and field sprint athlete.
had taken the supplement Ephiphany D1 as part of their training regimen, not knowing it contained oxilofrine. It was later revealed that Acacia was substituted with oxilofrine, and not revealed by the manufacturer. The duo sued the company that sold the supplement, Dynamic Life Nutrition (DLN), in order to clear their names. Both Powell and Simpson reached an out of court settlement for an undisclosed amount in September 2015. After the settlement, Simpson released a statement stating: "Both Asafa and I are happy that we were able to settle this out of court." In April 2014, the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission suspended him for 18 months over doping charges, expiring in December that year. However, after he and Simpson appealed to the
Court of Arbitration for Sport The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS; french: Tribunal arbitral du sport, ''TAS'') is an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland and its c ...
(CAS), the suspensions were reduced to the 6 months already served as CAS accepted the explanation that the offense was minor and due to contamination of the Epiphany D1 supplement.


2016 Rio Olympics

On 19 August 2016, Powell made a triumphant Olympic return, competing as part of the Jamaican 4 × 100 m men's relay team and winning a gold medal. After Jamaican team gold medal in 2008 Olympics were stripped, this medal win will be his only gold medal at Olympic Games.


Physiology and running style

Despite Powell's size ( tall, weighing ), he has fast initial acceleration. In the Japanese sports Science institute in 2008, Asafa Powell was measured to have a small cross sectional area of his quadriceps tendon stretched with 114 kilograms of pull force, compared to sprinter
Nobuharu Asahara is a former Japanese athlete who specialized in the 100 meters and long jump.Psoas major muscle The psoas major ( or ; from grc, ψόᾱ, psóā, muscles of the loins) is a long fusiform muscle located in the lateral lumbar region between the vertebral column and the brim of the lesser pelvis. It joins the iliacus muscle to form the il ...
in the Japanese sports science institute. Coupled with comparatively high stiffness in his ligaments and tendons, his long legs provide a long stride of 2.6 metres with rapid progression between each stride.


Personal life

Powell is deeply religious, citing his mother and father and his strict upbringing as the reason for this. In 2002, tragedy struck the Powell family when one of Asafa's brothers, Michael Powell, was shot dead in a taxi in New York. This emotional event happened the week of the Jamaica National Trials. In 2003, Asafa lost another brother during the week of the Jamaica National Championships. One year after the death of Michael, Vaughn Powell suffered a heart attack while playing a game of
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
. In April 2007, Corey Reid, an uncle of Powell, was stabbed in Waterloo,
Ewarton Ewarton is a town in the parish of Saint Catherine, Jamaica. History The name is most likely a compound of the surname "Ewart" and the suffix -ton, meaning town. The town's economy prospered particularly from 1957 when ALCAN established a baux ...
, St. Catherine. He later died in hospital. Powell married Canadian model Alyshia Miller-Powell in 2019. Powell has four children-two with wife, Amieke Powell and Azhaf Powell and two from previous relationships, Avani Powell and Liam Powell. Powell is known to be occasionally shy but nonetheless good-natured and somewhat of a joker. He is good friends with compatriot, 100 and 200-metre world record holder
Usain Bolt Usain St. Leo Bolt, , (; born 21 August 1986) is a retired Jamaican sprinter, widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He is the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay. An eight- ...
. The two are often seen joking around and do meet off the track. Powell is an avid car enthusiast. Powell has announced his retirement from Track n' Field on November 23, 2022. He will further his businesses, podcast, foundation and much more with wife Alyshia.


Sponsorship

*Powell has been under contract with
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
since 2004, representing them in all his IAAF races, and agreed to appear in various advertising campaigns for the company.
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
designed and built the Zoom Aerofly shoes for him, which were used at the 2008 Beijing Games. However, Powell ended his contract with
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
in mid-2010, and signed up with leading Chinese sports brand
Li Ning Li Ning (born March 10, 1963 in Liuzhou, Guangxi) is a Chinese retired gymnast, billionaire entrepreneur, and the founder of the eponymous sportswear company Li-Ning. Gymnastics career Li started training at the age of eight and was select ...
. He has signed with Puma in 2015. *
GlaxoSmithKline GSK plc, formerly GlaxoSmithKline plc, is a British multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with global headquarters in London, England. Established in 2000 by a merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. GSK is the ten ...
, through its energy drink
Lucozade Lucozade is a British brand of soft drink manufactured and marketed by the Japanese company Suntory. Created as "Glucozade" in the UK in 1927 by a Newcastle pharmacist, William Walker Hunter (trading as W. Owen & Son), it was acquired by the B ...
, has sponsored Powell since he first broke the 100 m World Record in 2005. They honoured his
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
achievements in a small function in October 2008. *In January 2006, Powell signed as a global brand spokesperson for
Nutrilite Nutrilite is a brand of mineral, vitamin, and dietary supplements developed in 1934 by Carl F. Rehnborg. Nutrilite products are currently manufactured by Access Business Group, a subsidiary of Alticor whose products are sold via Amway worldwide ...
. Nutrilite products are sold through the
Amway Amway (short for "American Way") is an American multi-level marketing (MLM) company that sells health, beauty, and home care products. The company was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos and is based in Ada, Michigan. Amway and it ...
corporation. On 14 January 2009 Amway's Team Nutrilite ended the sponsorship agreement with Powell.


Accomplishments and major competition results


Personal bests


Competition record

;60 metres 100 metres ;200 metres ;4×100 metres relay


Miscellaneous accomplishment

;Sub-10.0 runs, Season (100 m) *Powell was the first man to have run legally under 10.00 seconds 15 times in a single season (2008). ;IAAF World Athletics Tour wins Powell has recorded a total of 35 wins in
IAAF Grand Prix The IAAF Grand Prix was an annual, global circuit of one-day outdoor track and field competitions organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). It was created in 1985 as the IAAF's first seasonal track and field circu ...
events, 14 coming in Golden League events and 12 in
IAAF Super Grand Prix The IAAF Super Grand Prix was an annual series of one-day track and field competitions organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Over the competition's history, a total of nine different meetings were part of the ...
events. In the seven-year history of the IAAF World Athletics Final (2003–2009), Powell won the most competitions of any male athlete and took home the most prize money in the male events. In his seven appearances at the competition, he won the 100 m four times and 200 m once, winning US$173,000 in total.Farewell to WAF
.
IAAF World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...
(24 September 2009). Retrieved on 24 September 2009.
;Time progression in the 100 m


See also

*
Athletics in Jamaica Since the early 20th century, Jamaica has won 42 Commonwealth Golds, 14 World Championship Golds and 17 Olympic gold medals in athletics alone. Jamaica has a population of 2.85 million people, making it the 138th most populous country in the w ...
* Jamaica at the Olympics *
Jamaica at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Jamaica was represented at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. Medals Medalists Bronze * Athletics, Men's 4 × 400 m Relay Gold * Asafa Powell, Athletics, Men's 100 m * Sheri-Ann Brooks, Athletics, Women's 100 m * Maurice Wignall ...
*
World record progression 100 metres men The first record in the 100 metres for men (athletics) was recognised by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as World Athletics, in 1912. , the IAAF had ratified 67 records in the event, not including rescinded records. Un ...


References


External links

* *
Asafa Powell
at All-Athletics.com * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Asafa 1982 births Living people Jamaican male sprinters World record setters in athletics (track and field) Olympic athletes of Jamaica Olympic gold medalists for Jamaica Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Jamaica Athletes (track and field) at the 2002 Commonwealth Games Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games World Athletics Championships medalists World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists People from Spanish Town Jamaican Christians Commanders of the Order of Distinction Jamaican sportspeople in doping cases Doping cases in athletics World Athletics Championships athletes for Jamaica Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Jamaica Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics Competitors stripped of Summer Olympics medals IAAF Golden League winners Track & Field News Athlete of the Year winners Diamond League winners Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics World Athletics Championships winners