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Bolt, Powell go head-to-head in Paris
Written by Duncan Friday, 16 July 2010
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Jamaican sprinters Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell
go head-to-head for the first time this year in the 100 metres at the
Diamond League meet in Paris on Friday.
Bolt and Powell,
who share the fastest time this year of 9.82 seconds, meet in a much
anticipated showdown at the Areva meet at the Stade de France.
”Asafa
Powell taking the start, plus runners like Yohan Blake and Daniel
Bailey, I know the 100 metres will be a great race,” Bolt said. ”My
goal will be not to lose this race. I plan to go 9.7. It should be a
good race. Asafa is ready.”
Following an Achilles‘ tendon
injury, Bolt returned to competition in Lausanne, Switzerland, on July
9 and clocked 9.82 seconds. That matched Powell‘s time in Rome on June
10.
Missing from the meet will be American sprinter Tyson Gay, who beat Powell in Gateshead last weekend.
The Stade de France race will be Bolt‘s third 100 metres competition of the season.
”I no longer feel the slightest discomfort as far as my Achilles‘ tendon goes,” Bolt said.
”I‘m
however remaining careful and being really attentive during training
sessions. According to my doctor, I should be running at 100 per cent
again in two or three weeks.”
Powell is the last man to have beaten Bolt in the 100metres, two years ago in Stockholm.
Bolt,
the Olympic and world champion and world record-holder in the 100 and
200 metres, said he improved a lot after that defeat.
”My coach used to say that you have to learn how to lose before knowing how to win.
“Looking back at the race, I figured out where I made mistakes and I worked on correcting them,” Bolt said.
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