LONDON, (Reuters) – Former 100 metres world record holder Asafa Powell believes his rivalry with the current number one Usain Bolt could mirror that of some of the great boxers — if he can be bothered to build up the hype.
Powell was the last man to beat the Olympic champion and world record holder over 100 metres, in Stockholm last year, and with the world championships in Berlin next month, all eyes will be on the Jamaican pair when they go head to head at today’s London Grand Prix.
“It’s something that (the sport) hasn’t seen for a long while and there are times when I said to myself ‘I’m going to make it be like a Tyson and Holyfield match’ but I just can’t find the energy to really put out that kind of trash talk,” Powell told Reuters yesterday.
“Because I really wouldn’t mean it,” the laid back 26-year-old added. “We’ve been friends before the world record and Olympic Games and nothing has changed, he has only gotten a lot more famous.”
Powell is recovering from a minor injury to his left ankle but wants to run a season’s best at Crystal Palace after recording 9.88 in Rome this month.
“The ankle’s not going to get any worse so why not compete on it? But it’s not 100 percent. There’s still a bit of pain but I can run. I can run below 10 seconds” he said.
Another sub-10 time would also mean Powell surpassed Maurice Greene’s record of 52 runs below the barrier.
“I’ve made a lot of improvements over the last year, worked on the start more and worked on the finish,” said Powell who finished fifth behind Bolt in the Beijing Olympic final.
“I don’t think it’ll be anything different, it’ll be for me to run my own race whether he’s with me at 60 metres or not. It’s just for me to run my own race to beat him.”
