On this day in 2007: Jamaica’s Asafa Powell sets new 100m world record

Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell smashed the world record for the 100 metres on this day in 2007.

Powell clocked 9.74 seconds in the second of two heats at the IAAF Grand Prix in Rieti, Italy.

Then aged 24, he broke the record he shared with American athlete Justin Gatlin by three hundredths of a second.

“That’s what happens when I start to listen to the coach,” said Powell, who went on to win the final in 9.78 and later won Olympic gold in the 4x100m relay at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

“It’s just to remind my fans that Asafa Powell is still here. I came here and executed properly and did what I was supposed to do.”

Powell, who had been troubled by groin and knee injuries that summer, was aided in his record-breaking run by a strong following wind.

He held the record for just over eight months, losing it to compatriot and Olympic team-mate Usain Bolt, who ran 9.72 in New York in May 2008.

Eight-time Olympic gold medallist Bolt holds the current world record of 9.58, set in 2009 at the world championships in Berlin.