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By Neil Wilson in Berlin
Last updated at 7:32 PM on 13th August 2009Asafa Powell's dream of challenging Usain Bolt for the 100 metres world title here in Berlin on Sunday was kept alive on Wednesday night after IAAF president Lamine Diack intervened.
Quick reprieve: Asafa Powell is back in the Jamaica team after earlier being banned for missing a training camp
Former world record holder Powell, the third man in the championships' headline event of Bolt v Tyson Gay, was kicked out of Jamaica's team along with five other athletes by the national federation earlier in the day.
It was punishment for refusing to attend the team's recent training camp in Nuremburg.
The decision to exclude Powell and two other Olympic gold medallists, Shelly-Ann Fraser and Melaine Walker, threatened not only the island's prospective medal count but Bolt's hopes of winning three gold medals.
Powell was the fastest member of the Jamaican relay team which set a world record winning last year's OIympic gold.
Diack was concerned about the loss to the championships of star names just 72 hours before the German organisers are faced with the mammoth task of filling the 72,000-capacity Olympic Stadium for nine days. So far, 300,000 seats have been sold.
Howard Aris, the chairman of the Jamaican Amateur Athletics Association, was pressurised into a U-turn by Diack and his secretary-general Pierre Weiss.
'We asked him to reconsider in the interest of the sport,' said Weiss. 'Our first goal is to promote the sport. We respected the federation's decision but it affected the championships.'
Aris agreed to restore the six athletes' entries but promised sanctions later. Weiss later confirmed that five Jamaicans, including another member of Bolt's relay team, Yohan Blake, who tested positive for stimulants at their national championships, will all be allowed to compete in Berlin.
Weiss contended that the drug found was a 'minor product'.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1206155/ATHLETICS-Asafa-Powells-bid-steal-Bolts-crown-Berlin-saved-IAAF-president.html#ixzz0O6i7UY9M
Last updated at 7:32 PM on 13th August 2009Asafa Powell's dream of challenging Usain Bolt for the 100 metres world title here in Berlin on Sunday was kept alive on Wednesday night after IAAF president Lamine Diack intervened.
Quick reprieve: Asafa Powell is back in the Jamaica team after earlier being banned for missing a training campFormer world record holder Powell, the third man in the championships' headline event of Bolt v Tyson Gay, was kicked out of Jamaica's team along with five other athletes by the national federation earlier in the day.
It was punishment for refusing to attend the team's recent training camp in Nuremburg.
The decision to exclude Powell and two other Olympic gold medallists, Shelly-Ann Fraser and Melaine Walker, threatened not only the island's prospective medal count but Bolt's hopes of winning three gold medals.
Powell was the fastest member of the Jamaican relay team which set a world record winning last year's OIympic gold.
Diack was concerned about the loss to the championships of star names just 72 hours before the German organisers are faced with the mammoth task of filling the 72,000-capacity Olympic Stadium for nine days. So far, 300,000 seats have been sold.
Howard Aris, the chairman of the Jamaican Amateur Athletics Association, was pressurised into a U-turn by Diack and his secretary-general Pierre Weiss.
'We asked him to reconsider in the interest of the sport,' said Weiss. 'Our first goal is to promote the sport. We respected the federation's decision but it affected the championships.'
Aris agreed to restore the six athletes' entries but promised sanctions later. Weiss later confirmed that five Jamaicans, including another member of Bolt's relay team, Yohan Blake, who tested positive for stimulants at their national championships, will all be allowed to compete in Berlin.
Weiss contended that the drug found was a 'minor product'.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1206155/ATHLETICS-Asafa-Powells-bid-steal-Bolts-crown-Berlin-saved-IAAF-president.html#ixzz0O6i7UY9M
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