Sport
Jamaica’s Asafa Powell keeps focus to win re-run 100m in Ostrava
Asafa Powell. PHOTO/European Press Agency
(Reuters) – Jamaica’s Asafa Powell was twice a winner of the 100 meters at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava on Thursday after he sprinted to victory – only to be told the race would be re-run because of a false start.
Powell, a former world record holder, powered across the finish line in 9.97 seconds before realizing that Kemar Hyman of the Cayman Islands had been disqualified for jumping out of the blocs too quickly.
After wandering back to the start, Powell then kept his composure to win again, albeit in the slower time of 10.06 with Kim Collins of Saint Kitts & Nevis second in 10.08 and American Mike Rodgers third in 10.16.
Powell, who has struggled with a hamstring injury this season, had been looking to bounce back from the disappointment of a seventh place finish at the Jamaican trials in Kingston last week, where he clocked 10.22.
World record holder Usain Bolt, a regular at the Ostrava meeting in recent years, pulled out of the competition earlier this week, and Powell switched to the 100 meters from a relay he had initially committed too.
In the women’s pole vault, world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva won with a leap of 4.78 meters, her best performance of the season but behind the world leading 4.90 of Cuba’s Yarisley Silva.
There had been rumors Isinbayeva was considering retirement after she failed to win a third consecutive gold at the London Olympics last year, but she is planning to compete at the Moscow world championships in August.
