World record holder Asafa Powell powered to his first major title with a
comfortable victory in the Commonwealth Games men's 100 metres final on Monday.
The burly Jamaican stormed clear early to finish in 10.03 seconds but eased up
over the closing stages so that his nine-month-old record of 9.77 was never
under threat.
Jamaica's world
champion Asafa Powell celebrates after winning the men's 100m final at the
Commonwealth Games in Melbourne March 20, 2006. [Reuters]
"I can run sub-10 any time but I'm just not ready," Powell told reporters.
Nigerian Soji Fasuba claimed silver in a time of 10.11 and Marc Burns of
Trinidad and Tobago the bronze in 10.17.
Powell burst clear after about 20 metres and was never threatened in a
commanding performance, dispelling any lingering fears of a groin injury that
had kept him out of competition since last July.
"I'm pleased. I didn't want to push too hard because I'm just coming off an
injury," he said.
Powell survived a scare in a drama-packed semi-final when he crossed into an
opponent's lane, risking disqualification, before reaching the finish line.
Television replays showed that Powell was looking up at a giant television to
his left when he inadvertently moved from lane six into Canadian Anson Henry's
lane five.
Powell qualified in the fastest time of 10.03, exactly the same as he ran in
the final.
Event officials said action could only be taken if another runner complained.
They said no one had lodged a complaint and that Powell had not impeded Henry,
who qualified seventh fastest for the final in 10.28.
Powell's compatriot Michael Frater and England's Mark Lewis-Francis were not
so lucky in a bizarre semi-final that got underway at the fourth attempt.
Frater, second in last year's world championships, was the first to be
eliminated after the field had been put under warning following Australian
Patrick Johnson's false start.
Frater was disqualified for breaking early and Lewis-Francis, a relay gold
medallist at the Athens Olympics, followed for the same offence.