Bolt, Yohan Blake give support to Asafa Powell
World champions Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake have come out in support of Jamaican team mate Asafa Powell following his latest let-down at a global track and field championships.
Powell, who chatted up his chances of adding to his two bronze medals in the 100m at the 15th World Championships at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, China, finished a disappointing seventh in the final in 10.00 seconds (0.5m/s) on Sunday morning, Jamaican time.
Later he posted what amounted to be an apology on his Twitter account, “I am sorry I disappointed and let my fans in Jamaica down at another championship. There’s nothing you can say that I haven’t said to myself.”
Bolt who won in his third World Championships 100m title in a season’s best 9.79 seconds, just edging world leader Justin Gatlin (9.80 seconds) who was unbeaten since 2013, however, rallied to support his team captain by posting “Bro just keep strong.. Ppl don’t get this journey and sacrifice we all put into this..”
Blake who won his only World Championship 100m title in 2011 in Daegu, South Korea, also lent his support by tweeting: “@officialasafa hold up your head high. Nuff respect!!”
Blake failed to make the team currently in China as he started competing late in the season after returning from an injury layoff and failed to get past the semi-finals at the JAAA National Senior Trials in late June.
Powell went into the championships as the fastest Jamaican man this year over the 100m with seven sub-10 seconds runs before adding two more in the first two rounds in Beijing, 9.95 seconds (-0.1m/s) and 9.97 seconds (-0.4 m/s). The two-time world record holder has a season’s best 9.81 seconds set in St Denis, France in early July.
Powell, who has been representing Jamaica at the senior level for almost 13 years, has won two bronze medals in the 100m at the World Championships, in Osaka, Japan in 2007 and 2009 in Berlin, Germany.
His failures, however, at both the World Championships and Olympic Games have not gone down well with track and field fans.