Asafa Powell, from Jamaica, ran a 9.77 legal-wind 100-meter dash in Athens today.
foxsports
Powell sets new 100-meter record
ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Asafa Powell set a world record in the men's 100 meters Tuesday, clocking 9.77 seconds at the Tsiklitiria Super Grand Prix meeting.
<TABLE class=emailBoothFields style="BORDER-RIGHT: #b3b3b3 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #b3b3b3 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #b3b3b3 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #b3b3b3 1px solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #eee" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=275 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Fastest 100 Meters All-Time
<LI>9.77, Asafa Powell, Jamaica, 6/14/05
<LI>9.78, Tim Montgomery, U.S., 9/14/02
<LI>9.79, Maurice Greene, U.S., 6/16/99
<LI>9.80, Maurice Greene, U.S., 8/22/99
<LI>9.82, Maurice Greene, U.S., 8/5/01
<LI>9.84, Donovan Bailey, Canada, 7/27/96
<LI>9.84, x-Bruny Surin, Canada, 8/22/99
<LI>9.84, Tim Montgomery, U.S., 7/13/01
<LI>9.84, Asafa Powell, Jamaica, 5/7/05
<LI>9.85, Leroy Burrell, U.S., 7/6/94
<LI>9.85, Maurice Greene, U.S., 7/7/99
<LI>9.85, x-Tim Montgomery, U.S., 8/5/01
<LI>9.85, Justin Gatlin, U.S., 8/22/04
<LI>9.85, Asafa Powell, Jamaica, 6/9/05 Note: Times in seconds; x-finished second in race.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The Jamaican, who finished fifth in 9.94 at the 2004 Athens Games on the same track, shaved one hundredth of a second off Tim Montgomery's record of 9.78 set in Paris in 2002.
Montgomery's record already was at risk because he faces doping charges. The previous record was 9.79 set by Maurice Greene on the Athens track in 1999.
Powell, 22, already had the world's fastest time this year, a run of 9.84 seconds at the Jamaica International Invitational on May 8. He also ran a 9.85 on June 9 in the Czech Republic. His run Tuesday came with a tailwind of 1.6 meters per second, well below the legal limit of 2.0.
"I'm very happy that ... I achieved this performance," Powell said after the race at the Olympic Stadium. "I knew I could break the world record and I am very happy I succeeded."
It was the first major sporting event in Athens since the Aug. 13-29 Olympics.
"It's amazing that, after Maurice Greene, I also achieved a world record in this stadium," Powell said. "If you ask me what I can do more this year, you will just have to wait until the end of this year's season to see."
Powell is only the fourth non-American to hold the 100 world record since 1912. Donovan Bailey of Canada (1996), Armin Hary of West Germany (1960) and Percy Williams of Canada (1930) are the others.
Powell's run removed controversy from the world record. Montgomery's time of 9.78 could be wiped out if the Court of Arbitration for Sport rules that Montgomery was guilty of doping. Montgomery was charged by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency with using steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=223 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=caption>Asafa Powell sets a new record in the 100 meters. (Thanassis Stavrakis / Associated Press)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Aziz Frater of Ghana finished second to Powell in Tuesday's race in 9.99 and Francis Obikwelu of Jamaica was third in 10.03.
In the women's 100 at the Tsiklitiria meet, Jamaica's Sherone Simpson won in 11.15, beating Zhana Block in 11.19 and Greece's Georgia Kokloni, who finished third in 11.33.
Race favorite Ivet Lalova of Bulgaria pulled out after suffering a serious knee injury in the warm-up area.
Qatar's Saif Shaheen comfortably lead from the start in the men's 3,000 steeplechase but finished three seconds shy of his world mark of 7:53.63.
"Amazing race," the Kenyan-born Shaheen said. "I could have done it, but I slowed down since the others didn't follow."
Arend Watkins of the United States won the men's 110 hurdles in 13.23.
Australian world champion Jana Pittman won the women's 400 hurdles in 53.44. "It was very good training for the world championships in Helsinki," Pittman said. "I am very satisfied that I won the race. I am in very good shape."
foxsports
Powell sets new 100-meter record
ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Asafa Powell set a world record in the men's 100 meters Tuesday, clocking 9.77 seconds at the Tsiklitiria Super Grand Prix meeting.
<TABLE class=emailBoothFields style="BORDER-RIGHT: #b3b3b3 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #b3b3b3 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #b3b3b3 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #b3b3b3 1px solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #eee" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=275 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Fastest 100 Meters All-Time
<LI>9.77, Asafa Powell, Jamaica, 6/14/05
<LI>9.78, Tim Montgomery, U.S., 9/14/02
<LI>9.79, Maurice Greene, U.S., 6/16/99
<LI>9.80, Maurice Greene, U.S., 8/22/99
<LI>9.82, Maurice Greene, U.S., 8/5/01
<LI>9.84, Donovan Bailey, Canada, 7/27/96
<LI>9.84, x-Bruny Surin, Canada, 8/22/99
<LI>9.84, Tim Montgomery, U.S., 7/13/01
<LI>9.84, Asafa Powell, Jamaica, 5/7/05
<LI>9.85, Leroy Burrell, U.S., 7/6/94
<LI>9.85, Maurice Greene, U.S., 7/7/99
<LI>9.85, x-Tim Montgomery, U.S., 8/5/01
<LI>9.85, Justin Gatlin, U.S., 8/22/04
<LI>9.85, Asafa Powell, Jamaica, 6/9/05 Note: Times in seconds; x-finished second in race.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The Jamaican, who finished fifth in 9.94 at the 2004 Athens Games on the same track, shaved one hundredth of a second off Tim Montgomery's record of 9.78 set in Paris in 2002.
Montgomery's record already was at risk because he faces doping charges. The previous record was 9.79 set by Maurice Greene on the Athens track in 1999.
Powell, 22, already had the world's fastest time this year, a run of 9.84 seconds at the Jamaica International Invitational on May 8. He also ran a 9.85 on June 9 in the Czech Republic. His run Tuesday came with a tailwind of 1.6 meters per second, well below the legal limit of 2.0.
"I'm very happy that ... I achieved this performance," Powell said after the race at the Olympic Stadium. "I knew I could break the world record and I am very happy I succeeded."
It was the first major sporting event in Athens since the Aug. 13-29 Olympics.
"It's amazing that, after Maurice Greene, I also achieved a world record in this stadium," Powell said. "If you ask me what I can do more this year, you will just have to wait until the end of this year's season to see."
Powell is only the fourth non-American to hold the 100 world record since 1912. Donovan Bailey of Canada (1996), Armin Hary of West Germany (1960) and Percy Williams of Canada (1930) are the others.
Powell's run removed controversy from the world record. Montgomery's time of 9.78 could be wiped out if the Court of Arbitration for Sport rules that Montgomery was guilty of doping. Montgomery was charged by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency with using steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=223 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
Aziz Frater of Ghana finished second to Powell in Tuesday's race in 9.99 and Francis Obikwelu of Jamaica was third in 10.03.
In the women's 100 at the Tsiklitiria meet, Jamaica's Sherone Simpson won in 11.15, beating Zhana Block in 11.19 and Greece's Georgia Kokloni, who finished third in 11.33.
Race favorite Ivet Lalova of Bulgaria pulled out after suffering a serious knee injury in the warm-up area.
Qatar's Saif Shaheen comfortably lead from the start in the men's 3,000 steeplechase but finished three seconds shy of his world mark of 7:53.63.
"Amazing race," the Kenyan-born Shaheen said. "I could have done it, but I slowed down since the others didn't follow."
Arend Watkins of the United States won the men's 110 hurdles in 13.23.
Australian world champion Jana Pittman won the women's 400 hurdles in 53.44. "It was very good training for the world championships in Helsinki," Pittman said. "I am very satisfied that I won the race. I am in very good shape."
