JUSTIN GATLIN, THE BANE OF ASAFA POWELL
On Friday, May 11, 2012 former 100-metre world record holder Asafa Powell ran his fastest season opener ever (9.88seconds) and yet Jamaicans were angry. Why? Because Powell, in running his fastest time ever over 100 metres to open a season, managed to lose a race he should have won and in so doing reminded Jamaicans as to their countryman’s shortcomings over the last decade.
Powell is arguably one of the most talented sprinters in history and while he has used that talent to dip below the 10-second barrier a record 75 times, he continues to show how fragile he can be when competing against some of the world’s best sprinters. Way back when Powell had begun to dominate the world of sprinting world and Olympic champion Maurice Greene had infamously said that when Powell is running against people he knows he can beat he is the perfect sprinter. However, put someone in the race with him who can compete and he will choke, or words to that effect.
At the time people thought Greene, known for the mind games he played on his opponents, was just playing with Powell’s head but time has proven Greene right and it has been an uncomfortable truth for a lot of Jamaicans to accept. In two Olympic Games Powell has yet to win an individual medal and in three world championships, he has only managed to secure two individual bronze medals – one of them in a race he should have won.
In 2007 at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, Powell was the favourite to lift his first world title and make up for missing out in Paris in 2003 when in most dramatic fashion was disqualified for false starting along with Jon Drummond, and in 2005 when a groin injury prevented him from competing. In the final Powell was seen as a lock as he had never been beaten by American Tyson Gay, his only real threat. But as history would prove, those things have little bearing on Powell’s mind when he is competing against the world’s best sprinters. Leading at 80metres, Powell felt pressure from Gay and crumbled and, in his own words, quit, finishing third as Bahamian Derrick Atkins came up to take second.
That was the last year of Powell’s reign as the world’s best sprinter as Gay had now taken that title and in 2008, along came a 22-year-old star called Usain Bolt.
In Doha on Friday, May 11, Powell found himself in the very familiar role of favourite only to crack under the pressure provided by American Justin Gatlin, who back in Powell’s heyday, was the only sprinter to have Powell’s ticket. Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic champion and the 2005 World Champion, has been back a full season from a four-year drug suspension but during the indoor season, shown that he was nearing his best form. In Doha, despite being a metre behind Powell, ran the Jamaican down and edged by him at the line to win in 9.87s, his fastest opener ever.
That Jamaicans are angry only suggests that we really do not learn much from history. If they had looked at Powell’s past they would have seen this coming. Before this last race Gatlin had beaten Powell six times in nine attempts, among them the Olympic finals in Athens and again in Eugene Oregon in 2005, when Powell got pipped at the line by a fast-finishing Gatlin. The disappointment, I suppose, comes from the fact that since Gatlin was suspended about four years ago, Powell had moved his own record to 9.72, past the 9.77 barrier that obtained when both men battled. There was also disappointment that it was Gatlin that defeated Powell; this after coming off a drug suspension.
What is most disappointing however, is that after all this time Powell is still to learn what it means to be a competitor; what it means to focus on what he needs to do to win and not what others are doing. The disappointment comes because now he has allowed Gatlin to get back into his head and possibly, later this summer, relegate Powell to an also ran like he had been in Athens in 2004 and again in Beijing four years later.
However, this is only the first meeting of the season between the two veterans. Time will tell what happens later this summer in the other Diamond League meets and most importantly, at the summer Games in London. This could be the last shot for both men at major glory. Gatlin already has his titles however, so as usual all the pressure falls on Asafa, the man least equipped to deal with it.
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27 Responses to “JUSTIN GATLIN, THE BANE OF ASAFA POWELL”
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To me its not the fact that he lost that makes me upset,its the fact that he makes excuses when he doesnt win. Cant someone tell him not to do that. In any sport making excuses is seen as pathetic . He could have simply said” congratulations to him, its early in the season and I hope to be at my best at the right time” bang end of story.instead he wants to talk about Jetlag..Gatlin had to travel too.. As the great Italian football coach Marcello Lippi said about Real Madrid last year, ” strong against the weak, weak against the strong”.. Thats Asafa
Well apart from da fact of Asafa’s apology, this has proven good 4 Jamaica’s athletics, bcaus it shows up da arrogance of da US. So to maintain our pride we must not relax and be complacent but 4 da remaining time sharpen up our techiques and improve our nutrition and rest well.
However if u look at da race and even da still pictures u can c that Asafa although leading up to da 70m mark was only in 3rd gear while Gatlin was eyeballs out. So can u imkagine if Asafa was in 5th gear he might dip below 9.80 I seriously think Gatlin have more to worry about than Asafa. And I hope to God that Asafa is trying new techniques to iron out his mental short commings.
Also, this drug taking brat must learn to humble, u wuld’ve think that a 2 time drug cheat wuld come out and compete under humility afterallk he’s lucky he’s got da chance to compete again, bcaus all of his performance will b viewed with SUSP[ICION.
I’ve been an avid follower and fan of Asafa Powell for some years now. I’m neither Jamaican nor American, but have always supported the Jamaican sprinters because I just found American sprinters arrogant(except for maybe Michael Johnson).
Now for Gatlin,a doper who fell from grace, one would expect humility, but then again, that would be expecting too much. He might be fast but he’s going to be taught a lesson at the Olympics…unless he’s doping on some yet to be detected drug.
Powell just lacks the mental toughness required to compete against his challengers. How can a guy who has run 9.72 and more sub 10s than anyone else in history be beaten by a guy who has not been allowed to compete for 4 years!? It’s mind boggling.
Once again, we have to labour through his excuses( and he’s very creative when it comes to that). It’s sad to see such talent ending up fading into the archives of “the-almost”. Why hasn’t he jumped ship and train with Usain’s coach? Has he invested in a mental/life coach to get his mind right? I just don’t get it how he keeps failing when it matters. Unfortunately, the world seems to only remember those who have gold medals at the Worlds and Olympics. Who doesn’t know Jesse Owens?
I guess Asafa’s fans are like the long suffering Liverpool supporters…hoping that some day, things will turn around
Powell has more to worry about(which he does very well) because he is the one lacking confidence and the competitive spirit it takes to be a champion. Powell is like a horse who needs blinders to win. He concentrates too much on what the other runners are doing. Run your race, close your eyes if you have to and run like your life depends on it.
Now we realize why Bolt ran down the track behind him after handing him the baton, if he had not done that we would have lost the race.
Will someone in his camp please get him a sports psychologist.
It is obvious that Powell’s problems are mental not physical.
What I would have recommended 2 years ago was a complete change in training and mental preparation. This I do not believe can happen in his current training environment. He should have changed coaches and even clubs. In fact I would have recommended that he trained in the US with the same sprinters that intimidate him. Along with the mental toughness he wold learn to embrace the pressure and conflict required to win on thebig stage.
Its too late now and the best we can hope for a another world recod in the 4 x 100m with Bolt, Blake, and Carter where there will be less
pressure than in a 100m final at the Olympics.
As much as I hate to say it, Asafa only runs 90m at best and that has cost him numerous races. I really am holding out that come this summer he will finally give it his all and power through all 100m of the race.
To win a global title he has to run 100m or maybe in his mind 105m. He has the potential I just want to see him reward the wonderful legacy he has to date with that elusive global title.
Trials will define what he can do because if he is not careful there is the likelihood that he could miss the boat entirely. This would be a global let down knowing he may miss it to athletes that are doing mutliple events to his one event. Lets see what happens.
Good luck Asafa and may the Lord give you strength of mind and swift legs.
Jamaican sayin u have fi nce a yaad before you dance abroad Asafa needs to clean up his act, find a new manager, operate on his groin, ego and selfesteem. Gay is proof u can run afer surgery.
Jamaican sayin u have fi dance a yaad before you dance abroad Asafa needs to clean up his act, find a new manager, operate on his groin, ego and selfesteem. Gay is proof u can run afer surgery.
I am never worried about performance at minor events like these it’s what they will do at the Big Games. Asafa has place us on the map, he has not been doing well since Usain came on the scene, however our relay team is unbeatable with all of our stars on it and this includes Asafa.
my ssentiments exactly
I’m glad to see the US and Jamaica rivalry is still strong. It keep things lively!! Accusations of drug cheats etc. just let us know we love our Countries and want our runners to do well against each other. Nothing against Jamaica, but GO USA!!
Typically, I tend to ignore sport articles such as this, which I find are filled with stereotypical biases. But as fate would have it, I have 15 minutes to rant!
Yes, it is true that many could rightly view Asafa Powell’s track history, given his potential, as one of an under achiever. But to make this statement, one must acknowledge the excellence of the measuring stick that one uses.
Everything in the article seems to imply the ease of what most experts see as monumental – re: the step from great athlete to great champion. In any sport, this is the hardest step to make and more significantly it is a complex blend of nurture and nature. It is the embodiment of legendary, and it is not commonly found. This is my first problem with this article. It equates or at best conflates the possession of talent to the championship spirit – this is a big flaw.
Secondly, implicitly reducing former Olympians and World Champions to “has beens” is an arrogance that I hope would only remain with Americans. So I sincerely hope that everything, from the selected title, to the conclusion, that I have read, is a poor reflection of the mentality of Jamaican athletics. For if it is accurate, then I fear that this island that shocked the world in 2008, will have their heart broken in 2012.
Asafa, like many before him, will go down in history as a great 100m sprinter. He broke world records, and allowed the Champions of our time, elevate their level. Is it okay to criticize the fact that of most runners he had the most potential, no it isn’t. But, it is sheer arrogance to try to pretend that attaining Championship status was there for the taking. If anything, Jamaicans know already that the step from great to Champion is not easy… I mean, did we not endure many years of Ottey?
In my opinion its clear that asafa powell knows he has one of if not the best start of any 100m runner. He however tends to lose his form once an opponent pulls along side him.
Its way too early in the season to tell what form asafa is in, and I only hope he was using this race to gauge himself. The olympics is where we will see if asafa has truly gotten over his problems.
I have been following track & field for decades,and bar none, I can truly state that Asafa Powell is the most graceful and elegant sprinter I have ever seen on the cicuit. As a personal fan, I too sometimes feel a little disappointed when Asafa does not bring home those individual medals that he truely deserves. All is not lost, though, since it has already been indicated that Asafa was the Jamaican sprinter solely responsible for the World taking note of us and also putting Jamaica back on the track and field radar before there were a Usain Bolt or a Yohan Blake. With Asafa’s superior start and quick burst of speed in the first 50 or so meters, he is usually well clear of all the competition. It is worth imagining what spectacular finish he would have achieved each time if he was to maintain his superior form for just a mere few seconds more. On his own terms, when he is ready…Asafa will present the World to a dramatic and climatic conclusion to his long and lustrious track and field careeer-which includes beating the stiffest of competiition on his way to prove his point.
Perhaps he needs to start running in dark glasses like Ato Bolden – with brown side handles that block out his opponents. That might be the best strategy!
I have been following track & field for decades,and bar none, I can truly state that Asafa Powell is the most graceful and elegant sprinter I have ever seen on the cicuit. As a personal fan, I too sometimes feel a little disappointed when Asafa does not bring home those individual medals that he truely deserves. All is not lost, though, since it has already been indicated that Asafa was the Jamaican sprinter solely responsible for the World taking note of us and also putting Jamaica back on the track and field radar before there were a Usain Bolt or a Yohan Blake. With Asafa’s superior start and quick burst of speed in the first 50 or so meters, he is usually well clear of all the competition. It is worth imagining what spectacular finish he would have achieved each time if he was to maintain his superior form for just a mere few seconds more. On his own terms, when he is ready…Asafa will present the World to a dramatic and climatic conclusion to his long and lustrious track and field careeer-which includes beating the stiffest of competiition on his way to prove his point…mark my word!
Asafa is a good sprinter, not a champion. Tyson gaye has a champions heart. The man struggled to run under 9.85 and would have eventually gotten the world record had usain not moved the mark.
Asafa P has disappointed me many times, but I still think he is a great athlete, lets praise him for what he has accomplished so far.The more we dwell on the negative, the more of it we invite into our lives. If we can’t say some thing kind, please lets zip it.
your day will come Safa. Love you,
Everyone that has commented clearly has love for you Asafa and wants the medals to keep coming in your favour. I for 1 is asking jus this 1 favour. Jus put a likkle yardy in your running and go non-stop to the finish line. As Jay said run a 110 m metre in your mind and give it your best and no watch no face..
Asafa did not put jamaican sprinting on the map Donald Quarrie did, remember Raymond Stewart he did not win a championship but he ran with the heart of a lion. The reason people or at least i am so dissapointed in Asafa is that apart form Usain i know he can beat these guys but when it comes to championship races he fizzles
you can actually see it on his face and his body language before the race start and the same thing is going to happen at this olympics IF he makes the team. We may hate and despise Gatlin but he speak the truth when he says Asafa is a RUNNER AND NOT A COMPETITOR. Asafa can still run fast but as for an individual gold medal at the olympic i think his time has pass…he will fly on the relay though. The black , green and gold will fly high in London.
Actually Lennox Miller did JNP40. Silver in a world record race in Mexico in 1968. Bronze in ’72. Miller was actually leading in that final in ’68.
If Asafa can be considered a “failure” , then I would’nt mind changing places with him. I find it amazing that people would have such a deep emotional emotional investment in an athlete that they would be “angry” because he loses a race. Some of us need to get a life!
By any measure, Asafa has had a successful career, and regardless of the outcome of future races, he will still be in that select group of sub-10 sec sprinters, and an even more select group based on the number of times he has done it. I suggest we wish the man well and stop with the armchair nonsense.
I guess we should just congratulate him on whatever positioned he finishes,and just accept it`for what it is, my God who does not want what is best for him?or are we just expecting too much?
Asafa was a timid talented boy and has grown into timid man, his timidity has gotten him quite far and he could have gone further, but didn’t
I have a lot of love and respect for Asafa as a human being and my Jamaican athlete. However in any competitive sport the person who wants it more will always do what it takes to become victorious. As a tennis player who played in many tournaments I always prepared myself physically, mentally and with the greatest CONFIDENCE that nobody can beat me and I seldom lost any tournaments I played. I always said that Asafa is a great athlete who just lacks that self confidence to win, he loses his focus and then place that focus on his competitors. I always believed he needed therapy to overcome this terrible phobia; he the only athlete I see have time to look around in a 100 meter dash and that makes him vulnerable and beatable all the time. It didn’t surprise me that Gatlin beat him, everyone including all the other strong competitors knows his weakness so they just capitalize on it, he’s just too predictable.
Asafa is a very good sprinter however he lack the basic ingredients to become a great sprinter, I believe it’s a bit late in the day to change that now, I believed he is far too bulky these days he resembles a weightlifter rather than a world class sprinter, his problems are all in his mind in order to overcome his shortcomings he will need to spend some time with a self motivator. or a good psychiatrist.
what i would say is jamaicans need to learn to run 10 m pass the finish line instead of running to the line if one notice in all our losses male and female we lose slowing up close to the line 2 cases come to mind where we had what was certain gold turn to bronze.