On November 23, 1982, champion sprinter Asafa Powell was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica. Powell’s parents are both ministers and the parents of six sons, of which Asafa is the youngest. Powell attended Ewarton Primary School and Charlemont High School in St. Catherine. He had planned to become a mechanic, but while studying in Kingston, he took up running, a sport that “runs in the family.” Donovan Powell, his oldest brother, was a finalist in the 60-meters at the 1999 World Indoor Championships. His mother ran the 100-yard dash in 11.4 seconds, while his father ran the distance in 10.2 seconds. Powell belongs to the Maximizing Velocity and Power (MVP) Track & Field Club, which is based at the University of Technology.

Powell is 6 feet, 3 inches in height, but in spite of this, he has fast initial acceleration, and combined with a stride measuring 2.6 meters, he can cover a distance rapidly. Powell was the world 100-meter record holder from June 2005 to May 2008, achieving times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds. Since September 1, 2016, Powell has run the distance faster than ten seconds more often than any other athlete: 97 times (A Guinness world record). He holds the world record for the 100-yard dash, clocking 9.09 seconds in May 2010.

Powell has a long record of achievement. He won a gold medal in the 4×100 meter relay at the 2016 Rio Olympics; gold medals in the 2009 and 2015 World Championships in the 4×100 meter relay; a silver medal at the 2016 Indoor Championships in the 60 meters; and gold medals in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in the 100 meters and the 4×100 meter relay. He took silver at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in the 4×100

Photo Source: Asafa Powell Facebook Page