Disappointment again for nearly man Powell

By Alison Wildey | Reuters – 2 hours 16 minutes ago
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Jamaica’s Asafa Powell looks at the scoreboard after running in the men’s 100m final …
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Jamaica’s Asafa Powell looks at the scoreboard after running in the men’s 100m final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August …
LONDON (Reuters) – Jamaica’s Asafa Powell remains the nearly man of sprinting after pulling up injured in the Olympic 100 metres final won by compatriot Usain Bolt on Sunday.
Powell got a good start and was in contention at halfway but he suddenly slowed and jogged across the line in 11.99, over two seconds behind the seventh-placed finisher Richard Thompson of Trinidad & Tobago.
Meanwhile, Bolt, who ran an Olympic record of 9.63, was already on his victory lap with his training partner Yohan Blake, second in 9.75.
Powell dropped to one knee and looked at the result showing on the big screen just above the brightly burning Olympic flame. He was the only man not to break 10 seconds.
As 80,000 people chanted ‘Usain, Usain’ and the stands flickered with the light of camera flashes, Powell quietly disappeared into the bowels of the stadium to face the waiting media.
“I injured myself. It felt good being out there in the final but I wanted to do something different. I injured my groin,” Powell told reporters, the disappointment clearly etched on his face.
The sight of Bolt’s back has taunted Powell since his younger rival burst on to the scene in 2007.
Powell has held the world record and is the most prolific sub-10 seconds sprinter of all time but the only individual medals he has from the major championships are world bronzes from 2007 and 2009.
That and his fifth-placed finishes at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics raised questions about Powell’s mental strength but he told reporters before the Shanghai Diamond League meeting in May he had pinpointed the problem.
The 29-year-old may have cured any mental fragility but that cannot be said of his body.
Powell missed the 2011 world championships with a groin injury and pulled out of the London Grand Prix last month with a similar problem.
He has previously said he has no plans to retire and has not ruled out racing on until the 2016 Games in Brazil. His body, however, may have other ideas.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)

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U.S. track legends Michael Johnson, Edwin Moses like Tyson Gay’s chances to upset Usain Bolt
3 hours ago

Getty Images – LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 04: Tyson Gay of the United States after competing in the Men’s …more
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LONDON – Track legends Michael Johnson and Edwin Moses believe United States sprinter Tyson Gay can cause a huge shock by beating Usain Bolt in the men’s 100-meter final on Sunday.
Johnson and Moses identified the key factors that Gay needs to execute to give himself a chance of taking Bolt’s crown and staving off the challenge from a series of contenders including Yohan Blake, Asafa Powell, Justin Gatlin and Ryan Bailey.
Bolt’s explosive speed created one of the greatest moments in Games history in Beijing four years ago when he scorched the track at the Bird’s Nest stadium in a remarkable time of 9.69 seconds despite slowing down toward the finishing line.

[ Related: Carl Lewis’ predictions for U.S. men’s track and field team ]
Gay, who is seeking his first Olympic medal, missed that meet with an injury and is content to have slipped under the radar leading into London. Much of the attention naturally has centered on Bolt and his rivalry with Jamaican teammate Blake.
“I am expecting a strong challenge from the United States,” said Moses, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 400-meter hurdles. “Justin Gatlin is running well enough to win a medal, but I think Tyson Gay is going to be the one to watch. He is capable of making a tremendous start, has very good acceleration, beautiful technique and smooth transitions of speed. He is good enough to win.
“The only way to beat Bolt is to get way out in front of him from the blocks. If he does get a good start, that’s trouble for everyone because it will allow him to unwind more quickly. If Gay wants to beat him, he has to get out even quicker.”
[ Related: Usain Bolt has a bizarre pre-race ritual ]

Gay was solid in his heat on Saturday, running a controlled race of 10.08 into a considerable headwind. Bailey was the fastest qualifier at 9.88, Gatlin produced an impressive 9.97 and Blake looked relaxed and dangerous in running 10 seconds flat.
As for Bolt, he made a sluggish start, but responded quickly and jogged the last quarter of the race to record 10.09. No one is taking him lightly, and the world anticipates more sporting brilliance on Sunday night.
But Johnson, the 200 and 400 meter icon, is not so certain Bolt will repeat as Olympic champion.
“[Bolt] is the man from Beijing and we all know what he can do. But can he be beaten? Sure,” Johnson said. “But it needs certain things to happen and if he is at his best, it will be difficult to see him getting beaten.
“But if he is just a little bit off, then Gay and some others have a chance. Most important, they need to believe. You don’t want to lose the race on the starting blocks. So much of it is mental and I think if Gay sees himself as a potential champion, then he is going to run very fast.”

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