Former 100-metre world record holder Asafa Powell is taking dead aim at the shorter 60 metres sprint at this year’s IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics.
According to Powell, the principals guiding his professional career are discussing his participation in the meet, to be held March 9-12 in Istanbul, Turkey.
“My coach (Stephen Francis) and my manager have been having a lot of discussion about that,” Powell said Thursday while here to run in today’s US Open Track and Field meet inside the Madison Square Garden arena.
Powell, who has not run indoors since 2004, welcomes the chance to compete at the global championships.
“I would love to,” he said. “It’s another experience. I don’t think it’s much different from the World Championships, you know. It’s the same thing. It’s only a shorter distance.”
Powell raised some eyebrows in track circles when he chose to run the 50 metres here. Not only has he never competed at that distance before, but the race will be his opener this season.
“This Saturday will be the first time I’ll be going in spikes,” said Powell.
He will face fellow Jamaicans Nesta Carter and Kimmari Roach; Antiguan Daniel Bailey, who finished third at the 2010 World Indoors; and Americans Trell Kimmons and Justin Gatlin, another former world record holder in the 100 metres.
The race is scheduled to start at 9:55 p.m., 10 minutes after the women’s 50 metres featuring reigning World Indoor 60 metres champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica. Other Jamaicans competing at the meet include Dwight Thomas in the 50 metres hurdles and Davita Prendergast in the 500 yards.
Powell offered several reasons for skipping previous indoor competition, including the season’s conflict with regular training schedules in Jamaica, plus one past experience that didn’t go well.
“The last indoor meet I ran I got injured and I think my coach just decided not to send me back indoors,” Powell said, explaining his extended absence from the “boards”.
Powell’s older brother Donovan was a finalist in the 60 metres at the 1999 World Indoors. However, a more realistic motive for his decision to run indoors is Powell’s admission that he must “change” the preparation routine which helped him hold the world 100 metres record from June 2005 to May 2008, but has failed to earn him a gold medal in the event at either the Olympics or outdoor World Championships. Powell believes his time is running out, especially with the emergence of fellow Jamaican stars such as Usain Bolt, the reigning Olympic champion and current 100 metres world record holder, and Yohan Blake, who won that event at last year’s World Championships.
He may get inspiration from Dwain Chambers, who won the 2010 World Indoors 60 metres at age 31, although the British sprinter’s time of 6.48 seconds is faster than Powell’s best of 6.56. What he’ll produce today is still unclear..
“I still can run fast,” said Powell. “I don’t know how fast or what to expect.”
