Former men's 100 meters world record holder Asafa Powell said?in?Beijing?on Tuesday that his target in the Beijing Olympic Games is to win the 100m gold medal.
![Former men's 100 meters world record holder Asafa Powell [CFP]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20080806/000bcdb953f10a03825801.jpg "Former men's 100 meters world record holder Asafa Powell [CFP]") |
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Former men's 100 meters world record holder Asafa Powell [CFP] |
"Of course I want to win the 100m gold medal. That's everyone's target in Olympic Games," said Powell in the Olympic Village after the Jamaican delegation had held their flag-raising ceremony.
Just arriving in Beijing on Tuesday, Powell said he had no plan to make a sightseeing tour in the Chinese capital. "I need to focus on the competition," said the 26-year-old, who refused to give any comments on his rivals.
Powell broke the 100m world record in Athens on June 14, 2005, setting a time of 9.77 seconds, beating American Tim Montgomery's record of 9.78 seconds. He then refreshed his record time on September 9, 2007 as he ran a new record of 9.74 seconds.
But his fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt ran 9.72 seconds at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York City on May 31 this year, taking the 100m world mark from Powell after nearly three years.
"I am training very well now. I don't care about my opponents in the competition. I just follow my own steps, follow my own run," said Powell in a recent interview.
Both Powell and Bolt will compete in men's 100m race in the Beijing Games, with Tyson Gay of the United States who snatched triple golds in 2007 World Championships as their top rival.
(Xinhua News Agency August 6, 2008)