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January 24, 2008
'Afaster' Powell to open his season this Weekend
By: Dwight Fraser and Devon Anderson
The world's fastest man Jamaican Asafa Powell will open his 2007-2008 campaign in the men's 400 metres at the Queens/Grace Jackson Track meet, to be held this Saturday January 26 at the Stadium East Mini Complex in Kingston, Jamaica.
Powell, who has been nominated for the Sports Man Of The Year along with World Championship silver medalist Maurice Smith, will be among many of the M.V.P Track Club stars who will be on show.
It will be interesting to see how Powell's body will respond to this rigorous event, bearing in mind that he is still recovering from a groin strain which was aggravated at the Yokohama Classics in Japan last December.
Another point of interest for the world record holder - at 9.74 seconds over 100 metres, is that his personal best in the one lap event stands at 47.17 and he says he is destined to lower that mark on Saturday.
Meanwhile at a recent stop at his sponsors - Nike facility in Los-Angeles, Powell, a past student of Charlemont High School, was presented with the first pair of a Nike Spikes developed from an impression of his feet. The shoe is the lightest and strongest ever made by the Sports Goods Manufacturer.
The running shoe will be unveiled when he runs in the Grace Jackson Relays, and Powell says "I will definitely lower my personal best over the 400 metres, while wearing them."
Another person sounding a similar sentiment was Bruce James the MVP Club President who stated that "This will give him every advantage an athlete can get from a spike."
Powell gearing up for the Olympic Games in Beijing, between August 8-24, will run next at a Track Meet in Australia slated for February and the Penn Relays in Pennsylvania in March.