Asafa Powell breaks 100m world record



ROME (AFP) - Jamaican Asafa Powell set a new men's world 100m record
of 9.74sec at the IAAF Grand Prix at Rieti, Italy, on Sunday, beating
his old mark of 9.77 set in Athens in June 2005.

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The 24-year-old Powell had predicted in Stockholm at the beginning of
August that he felt he was capable of beating the world record this
year.

When asked about his physical limits, he said they were around "9.74
or 9.73, even below 9.70."

Powell dominated the race ahead of Norway's Saidy Ndure Jaysuma
(10.07) and 2003 world champion from St Kitts and Nevis, Kim Collins
(10.14).

"After the world championships, where i made several mistakes, I
worked with my coach so that I could regain my best form. Now I'm
back!" said Powell on RaiSport.

"I did what I had to do on a very fast and bouncy track. And then
Italy is my second home," he said.

At the Osaka world championships on August 26, the Jamaican failed to
win the 100m title, finishing third in 9.96sec behind Americain Tyson
Gay (9.85) and Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas (9.91).

"I was in great shape and ready to go, but I made a huge mistake in
the final," he lamented at the time.

Powell set his world-record 9.77 in 2005 and equalled it twice last
season on the way to being named male athlete of the year.

He is yet to win a major title after false-starting at the 2003
worlds, missing 2005 with injury and finishing fifth at the last
Olympics.

The Jamaican won last year's Commonwealth title but only after
risking disqualification by veering into a competitor's lane during
the semi-finals.

Gay had held till this record-breaking run the fastest time of the
season of 9.84sec, set on June 22 in Indianapolis.