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Record holder powell celebrates easy win in Melbourne Grand Prix

Asafa Powell competes in the men's 100m in Melbourne, Australia, yesterday. PHOTO: AP

World record holder Asafa Powell made a positive start to his Olympic season yesterday with an easy win in the 100m at the Melbourne Grand Prix athletics meet.

Powell, overcoming a cut knee that curtailed his training over the past two weeks, finished in 10.04 seconds at Olympic Park, well outside his world mark of 9.74.

He was 2m ahead of his Jamaican compatriot Michael Frater, who finished in 10.25. Former Australian record holder Matt Shirvington was third in a time of 10.35.

Powell arrived in Australia last week with four stitches in a deep cut in his left knee suffered in an accident at home in Jamaica. He pulled out of a Sydney meet last weekend.

After undergoing a long warmup session yesterday, the 25-year-old Powell decided just an hour before the race that he would run.

Powell, who broke the 10-year-old meet record of 10.06 set by Maurice Greene of the US, said he ran faster than expected.
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