Jamaicain 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. 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).
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.
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