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Taken from JamaicaWin.com
The battle between Jamaica's two sprint stalwarts this season will be the stuff of legends. None is willing to cede position to the other. And while the world waits to see just how low Jamaican Olympic hero Usain Bolt can take the 100m world record, former world record-holder Asafa Powell plans to make the Berlin World Championmships special.
Injury forced him out of the 2005 world championships, while at the 2007 worlds he finished third and fifth in Beijing last year.
This year, he says things will be different.
Powell, who watched Bolt cruise to a wind-aided 9.93sec in his debut 100m this month at a local meeting, said he is focusing on getting it right this season.
"We are working on everything that we think would be a problem," said Powell, who recently returned from a successful training camp in Australia.
Bolt eclipsed Powell's 100m world mark last year, and also relegated his compatriot to also-ran status at the Beijing Olympics, where Bolt won not only the 100m but also the 200m in world record time as well as capturing gold in the 4x100m in record-setting fashion.
During the year Bolt broke Powell's former world record of 9.74sec twice, clocking 9.72sec in June and 9.69 at Beijing in August.
His exploits made it easy to forget that Powell still owns seven of the 12 fastest 100m performances in history.
Although Powell was part of Jamaica's triumphant 4x100m team in Beijing, in the individual event he wilted under pressure and was fifth - a repeat of his disappointing performance in Athens four years earlier.
"We are working on everything that we think would be a weakness (and) even what is not a problem we are still working on it.
"Everything - the mental part of it, strengthening and technical," Powell said.
Bolt's coach Glen Mills said he hopes Powell can put it all together before it's too late.
"Asafa is a fine sprinter who will probably go down in history as one of the finest technicians ever seen on the track," Mills said.
"He is running out of time, but I hope that one day on the world stage he will be able to collect the kind of accolades that he deserves."
Powell's coach, Stephen Francis, believes his sprinter can better Bolt's world record.
"I expect Asafa to be able to run well enough this year to break the world record," Francis said.
SOME SAY HE COULD BREAK THE WORLD RECORD AND STILL NO GOLD. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
By Earl at 03/24/2009 - 12:45
The battle between Jamaica's two sprint stalwarts this season will be the stuff of legends. None is willing to cede position to the other. And while the world waits to see just how low Jamaican Olympic hero Usain Bolt can take the 100m world record, former world record-holder Asafa Powell plans to make the Berlin World Championmships special.
Injury forced him out of the 2005 world championships, while at the 2007 worlds he finished third and fifth in Beijing last year.
This year, he says things will be different.
Powell, who watched Bolt cruise to a wind-aided 9.93sec in his debut 100m this month at a local meeting, said he is focusing on getting it right this season.
"We are working on everything that we think would be a problem," said Powell, who recently returned from a successful training camp in Australia.
Bolt eclipsed Powell's 100m world mark last year, and also relegated his compatriot to also-ran status at the Beijing Olympics, where Bolt won not only the 100m but also the 200m in world record time as well as capturing gold in the 4x100m in record-setting fashion.
During the year Bolt broke Powell's former world record of 9.74sec twice, clocking 9.72sec in June and 9.69 at Beijing in August.
His exploits made it easy to forget that Powell still owns seven of the 12 fastest 100m performances in history.
Although Powell was part of Jamaica's triumphant 4x100m team in Beijing, in the individual event he wilted under pressure and was fifth - a repeat of his disappointing performance in Athens four years earlier.
"We are working on everything that we think would be a weakness (and) even what is not a problem we are still working on it.
"Everything - the mental part of it, strengthening and technical," Powell said.
Bolt's coach Glen Mills said he hopes Powell can put it all together before it's too late.
"Asafa is a fine sprinter who will probably go down in history as one of the finest technicians ever seen on the track," Mills said.
"He is running out of time, but I hope that one day on the world stage he will be able to collect the kind of accolades that he deserves."
Powell's coach, Stephen Francis, believes his sprinter can better Bolt's world record.
"I expect Asafa to be able to run well enough this year to break the world record," Francis said.
SOME SAY HE COULD BREAK THE WORLD RECORD AND STILL NO GOLD. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
By Earl at 03/24/2009 - 12:45
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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