Asafa Powell last night became the fastest man in athletics - on the Athens track where he suffered the worst disappointment of his career last summer. One of them, Donovan, was a sprint relay team member at the Sydney Olympics. While contemporaries such as Greene and the new Olympic champion Justin Gatlin have a swagger in their step, Powell remains laid back "I've always been taught to stay humble," he said "I'm not the type to get caught up in the hype. Perhaps he sensed that Powell was about to make the question redundant.Five of Powell's brothers are also sprinters. Montgomery is awaiting the result of an appeal to the Court for Arbitration in Sport. This month Greene was asked how he felt about the prospect of regaining the world record if it should be stripped from Montgomery He responded cautiously.
The timing of 9.79 had been set once before, however, by Ben Johnson in the 1988 Olympics. It was subsequently annulled because of a positive dope test.Montgomery runs the risk of having his own mark annulled after the recent recommendation by the US Anti-Doping Agency that he be banned for life after his disclosures of doping abuse to a Federal Grand Jury investigating the Balco scandal. Mark Lewis-Francis, chosen as Britain's No 1 for the European Cup in Florence this weekend, failed to reach the final, finishing sixth in his heat in 10.36sec.Montgomery's mark was 0.01sec faster than the time Greene had achieved three years earlier in Athens. "I am just happy to have set the record on a track where Maurice Greene also broke the world record It is a very fast track. He had also spoken earlier of setting a new mark on the track where Maurice Greene, the former Olympic champion, had claimed the record with 9.79sec six years earlier at the same meeting, the Tsiklitiria Super Grand Prix."Nothing makes up for the Olympics, but this was showing the world I could have done it," Powell said. "The most important thing is the women need to be back up in the Super League with the men, we need to get out there and do our best. My aim is to gain the maximum points I possibly can for the team.
It's an honour to represent Great Britain, it gives me an extra buzz and I enjoy being part of the team."Radcliffe, who confirmed her participation in the competition at Leiria last Sunday week after completing the 1500m at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, previously doubled up in the European Cup in 1998, when she won the 5,000m and finished second in the 1500m.Pavey aggravated a minor foot injury en route to her impressive victory at the Norwich Union International in Glasgow on 5 June.Radcliffe's double commitment will be especially welcome given that Kelly Holmes, who announced that she would run the 800m in Portugal after winning at 1500m in Glasgow, pulled out on Friday because of an Achilles tendon problem. Paula Radcliffe will double her schedule at the European Cup event in Portugal this weekend in an effort to earn Britain's women a return to the Super League of the competition following their relegation last year. The 31-year-old marathon world record-holder had entered Sunday's 5,000 metres, and yesterday morning she made a swift decision to add Saturday's 3,000m to her commitments after the withdrawal of the injured Jo Pavey."It took me less than an hour to decide that I could also compete in the 3,000m," Radcliffe said. I'm happy to see the French horses do so well today, as it means our horses in France are good.". He had used up all his energy, most of it before the contest had even started That allowed Valixir to nip through briskly In the euphoria of triumph, Soumillon threw his whip away.
