30 Interesting Facts You Should Know About Asafa Powell - The World Famous Jamaican Sprinter

Powell, born on November 23, 1982 in Spanish Town in Jamaica, is the youngest of six sons to Cislyn and William Powell. Both his parents are pastors in the Redemption National Church of God.

1. He is the member of MVP Track & Field Club based at the University of Technology, Jamaica and is coached by Stephen Francis since 2001.
2. In April 2000 participating in the ‘ISSA High School Championship’ for Charlemont High School, he clocked 11.45 s in the 100 m Boys Class1 and 23.07 s in the 200 m. When neither time was quick enough for him to qualify, Stephen Francis started coaching Powel one week later
3. Coach Francis started coaching the tall teenager a faster start and on June 22 he participated in the ‘JAAA National Championship’ and won the Boys Under 20 100 m event in 10.50 seconds.
4. He represented Jamaica in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. He qualified for the semi-finals of 100m and finished fifth with time of 10,26s. He won silver medal in the 4X100 relay. He just missed gold finishing just behind Darren Campbell of Great Britain.
5. He won the Jamaican National Championship and qualified for the 2003 World Championship. He suffered the ignominy of being disqualified during the quarterfinals for false start in the 100m. His quest for a medal in the 4X100m relay was also missed because of second baton exchange was not executed cleanly.
6. He won two IAAF Grand Prix events of which one was an AF Golden League event. However he finished seventh with a time of 10.23s in the 100m at the IAAF World Athletic Final.
7. At the 2004 Athens Olympics he failed to win a medal, finishing fifth with the time of 9.94s in the highly competitive 100 m finals. He withdrew from the 200m finals after qualifying eighth.
8. Participating in the Memorial Van Damme annual athletic meet, Brussel, Belgium, he set a new national record of 9.87s in the 100m on September 03, 2004.
9. In May 2005 in the second Jamaica International Track & Field Invitational meet, Powell set a new national record in the 100m with a time of 9.84s. He gained some consolation for his Olympic disappointment by breaking the 100m World Record in Athens on June 14, 2005. He clocked a time of 9.77s.
10. A groin injury cut short his season and missed the World Championship. He ended the season with two IAAF Grand Prix events win to go with Jamaican National Championship 100m gold.
    
11. Powell had three fastest time of the year in 2005 in the 100m. He was awarded the ‘Caribbean And Central American’ (CAC) Male Athlete of the year award and was ranked second in the world.
12. In 2006 he won two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games held at Australia. In 100m he won the time of 10.03 s and anchored 4X100 m relay for gold medal. In all he won ten 100m IAAF Grand Prix events apart from winning the 200m at the Jamaican National Championship in 2006.
13. He was awarded the 2006 ‘Caribbean And Central American (CAC) Male Athlete of the year’ award for the second year in succession.
14. On February 03 he was honored at International Sports Group (ISG) Award Banquet held in New York in 2007. Same year he was nominated for the ‘Laureus World Sports Award Sportsman of the Year’ award.
15. He was out of training and competition due to his knee Tendinities. He returned to competition in the Jamaican National Championship and won the 100m, but injured his groin while running the finals.
16. In the ‘2007 World Championship’ held at Osaka, Japan, competing in the 100m he got the best start and led the field halfway through got tensed and finished third behind Gay and Atkins. He won the silver in the 4X100m relay anchoring Jamaica to new national record of 37.89s.
17. Powell was injured in his left hamstring, during the 200m race at Super Track & Field meet in Yokohama, Japan. He ended the year ranked second with five IAAF Grand Prix events wins.
18. He started the year 2008 with serious injury to his left knee having tripped on the steps of his home and suffered a gash which required four stitches. In April, 2008 he was forced out of action for two months, due to pectoral injury, a muscle pull in the chest. During his rehabilitation period he had the honor of seeing his fellow Jamaican break his three year old record in 100m. Usain Bolt set the time of 9.72s at the Reebok Grand Prix, New York City.
19. On July 11, 2008 he suffered his third injury, when he injured his groin during Golden Gala Meet. He returned to competition in the DN Galan meet and won duel against Usain Bolt by winning the 100m.
20. Powell again had a disappointing Olympics when he finished fifth in the 100m with a time of 9.95s, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Bolt won with a new record of 9.69s. He finally got his Olympic gold medal in the 4X100 relay with a new world record time. His anchor run of 8.70s split time is the fastest electronically timed.
    
21. On September 02, 2008 he bettered his personal time in the 100 m at the Athletissima Grand Prix meet in Laussanne. He clocked a time of 9.72s.
22. On January 31, 2009 he competed at the Grace Jackson Invitational meet in Kingston, Jamaica in the 400 m winning his heat in 47.75s. A month later he ran the 400m finishing fourth bettering his personal time with 45.94s at Sydney Track Classic Meet in Australia.
23. On April 16, 2009 he was nominated for the Laureus World Team of the year award, as a member of Jamaican Olympic sprint team.
24. In 2010 he started competing in the 400m and 200m events. On April 17 he won his heat in the 200m at the UTech Classic with time of 21.27s.
25. He set series of sub-10 s in the 100m at the 2010 IAAF Diamond League in Doha. He also set 100 yards dash with world best time of 9.07s beating the previous record of 9.21s set by Charlie Greene.
26. Powell won his 200m race at the Jamaican Senior Trials with a time of 19.97s, to record his second fastest ever time. At this meet he sported his new sponsorship logo ‘Li-Ning, a Chinese sports brand.
27. On April 28, 2011 running for Jamaica in the first leg 4X100m relay at the Penn Relays Meet, he won with a world leading time of 38.33s ahead of USA Red and Blue team.
28. At the Jamaican Trials in July 2011, he won the 100m with time of 10.08s to crowned National Champion for the fifth time in his career. He had earlier posted a season best of 9.90s in the semi-finals.
29. In the 2012 London Olympics, he had his most disastrous final finishing dead last in the 100m with a time of 11.99s due to his niggling groin injury. Jamaican Track & Field manager Ludlow Watts had lavished praise on Powell stating, he started this change in our sprinting and he is still a champion.
30. Powell withdrew from 2013 World Athletic Championship after he was tested positive for the stimulant Oxilofrine. He was banned for 18 months but the ban was lifted after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports on July 14, 2014.