Asafa Powell runs 9.94 to win the 100m at the IAAF Golden League meeting in Oslo (© Getty Images)
The World Record holder in the men’s 100m, Asafa Powell of Jamaica, has confirmed that he will run at the ExxonMobil Bislett Games 2008, Oslo, Norway, on 6 June which will be the second competition of this year’s six meeting ÅF Golden League.
"We are really happy to announce this early that Asafa Powell will be running at Bislett," said Steinar Hoen from the Oslo meeting organisation.
The scene is now set for an exciting race where Powell will meet, among others, the emerging Norwegian sprinter Jaysuma Saidy Ndure, 24, a contest that should excite the home crowd.
The Gambian born sprinter won the 100m at the Golden League meet in Berlin last year (10.14 – 16 Sep 2008), and then ran a national record of 10.06 seconds to finish runner-up to Powell at the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart on 22 September 2007.
Powell, 25, is of course the World record holder for the men’s sprint having run 9.74 seconds in his heat at the IAAF World Athletics Tour meeting in Rieti, Italy on 9 September, which improved on his previous record of 9.77. That performance made up somewhat for a disappointing Osaka World Championship for Powell who finished with a bronze medal in the 100m.
So far the contests between the two men have seen Powell with a 4 to 0 win/loss record over the Norwegian. If we discount the Athens Olympics where Powell was fifth but Ndure didn’t even make the final, Powell has won their four other encounters over 100m which all took place in 2007 -
Rieti 9 Sep:
Powell 9.78 (1st) to Ndure 10.10 (3rd) final
Powell 9.74 Wrec (1st) to Ndure 10.07 (2nd)
Brussels 14 Sep:
Powell 9.84 (1st) to Ndure 10.11 (2nd)
Stuttgart 22 Sep:
Powell 9.83 (1st) to Ndure 10.06 (2nd)
Chris Turner for the IAAF
Cities and Dates for 2008 - ÅF Golden League
Berlin, GER – Sunday 1 June
Oslo, NOR – Friday 6 June
Rome, ITA – Friday 11 July
Paris, FRA – Friday 18 July
Zürich, SUI – Friday 29 August
Brussels, BEL – Friday 5 September
