February 7, 2012  Print Email | Powell's quest for fast 100m blown away
Wins the race though
Posted by Agencies at 01:18 PM GMT on Mar 05, 2009 | MELBOURNE (AFP): Jamaican great Asafa Powell's attempt to finish the 100m dash in under 10 seconds was thwarted by a strong headwind at Olympic Park today. Powell hit the finish line in 10.23 seconds.
 The former world record holder was hoping to show he is on target to better compatriot Usain Bolt's 9.69sec world record. But he had to battle a 1.4m per second headwind in his first serious test this year, at the World Athletics Tour meet, over his favoured distance after running in a 400m event in Sydney last weekend.
"I really just wanted to get this race over with because the first race always messes with your mind," Powell said. "So I got this over with and I know where I'm at.
"I got home safely and there are no injuries, so I'm happy."
His coach, Steve Francis, believes Powell can better Bolt's world record, set in winning Olympic gold in Beijing. "I expect Asafa to be able to run well enough this year to break the world record," Francis said.
Powell's Olympic 4x100m relay gold medal-winning teammate Nesta Carter was second in 10.42.
Olympic champion Steve Hooker extended to eight a winning streak that began last August in Beijing with victory in the pole vault with 5.80m. Looking weary after a gruelling recent campaign in North America, Europe and at home, the Australian cleared 5.80m at his final attempt but could not repeat the feat after getting the bar raised to six metres. "I was really hoping I'd be able to jump six metres jumping in front of my family and supporters," Hooker said.
"I'm just going out there and enjoying jumping -- just trying to jump technically well -- I am not really going out there thinking about results too much. "It is more about getting a bit of rhythm happening." Hooker is chasing down Sergey Bubka's 16-year world record of 6.15m.
Australia's Olympic silver medallist Sally McLellan won the 100m flat and hurdles double at the Melbourne meet. McLellan claimed the hurdles title in 13.06, edging out Commonwealth champion Brigitte Foster-Hylton of Jamaica (13.11) and then clocked 11.56 in the 100m flat.
Olympic bronze medallist Bershawn Jackson from the US crashed out midway through the men's 400m hurdles with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. Australia's Tristan Thomas won the event in 50.67 with former Commonwealth champion Chris Rawlinson a solid third in 51.78. American Xavier Carter took the 200m in 20.96 and fellow countryman David Oliver won the 110m hurdles in 13.60. Australian Sean Wroe continued his impressive start to 2009, racing to a commanding victory in the 400m in 45.70. Commonwealth champion John Steffensen was second in 46.65.
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