AFP afpji

Powell itching to tackle Gay at 100m in London

Thu 03 Jul, 07:06 AM


KINGSTON (AFP) - Former 100 metre world record holder Asafa Powell said he is eager to avenge his 2007 World Championships defeat to American Tyson Gay this summer.

The two speedsters are down to meet at the London Grand Prix on July 25 and Powell said he is ready to settle a deal once and for all.

"I just want to get this behind me, because people have Tyson Gay's name in their heads, saying 'Asafa can't beat him' and this and that. So I just want to get this out of their heads," Powell told a Jamaican television station.

Powell placed third in the World Championships 100m final last year in Osaka.

Powell, the only man to run sub-9.8 five times, said he is ready to dismiss Gay in a similar fashion as his compatriot Usain Bolt did when he ran 9.72 for the new world record.

"Usain Bolt beat him already, so I just want to go out there now and put him behind me and then focus on everything else (Beijing)," said Powell.

In six races between the two, Gay's only victory was at last year's World Championships in Osaka.

Powell, who held the previous world record of 9.74, also has to his name 36 sub-10 second times. Gay ran the fastest time ever in any conditions with a wind-assisted (4.1) 9.68 seconds last week. His official personal best is 9.77.

Powell, along with other members of his MVP Track team left Jamaica on Wednesday, for their training base in Italy.

 

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