Athletics

Jamaican Powell sets men's 100m world record

Jamaica's Asafa Powell set a 100 metres world record after clocking a time of 9.77 seconds at the Olympic Stadium in Athens yesterday. On a warm summer's night on one of the fastest tracks in the world, the 22-year-old beat Tim Montgomery's previous record of 9.78 set in Paris in September 2002 to become the fastest man ever over the distance.

Powell earlier this week had said he would take a shot at the record during the Athens super Grand Prix at the stadium which hosted the Olympics last year and where American Maurice Greene also set a new 100 metres mark in 1999.

"This goes to show that the no one knows how fast a man can run," Powell told reporters. "I am just happy to have set the record on a track where Maurice Greene also broke the world record.

"I knew I could break the world record and I am very happy that I succeeded."

Asked whether he could run even faster, Powell smiled.

"If you ask what I can do more this year, you will have to wait until the end of this year's season to see," he said.

Greene's mark of 9.79 seconds survived for three years until Montgomery beat it at the grand prix final in the French capital.