Athletics: World 100 metres record holder Asafa Powell is planning to arrive in Melbourne in Tuesday for next month's Commonwealth Games after his manager denied reports the sprinter would be absent.
Paul Doyle insisted the Jamaican athlete, who set the new mark of 9.77 seconds in Athens last June, would compete, quashing rumours that he had decided to concentrate on the lucrative IAAF Grand Prix circuit and its money-spinning World Cup final at the end of the season.
The 23-year-old is set to have his first outing over 100m this weekend since aggravating a groin injury and failing to finish at last year’s Norwich Union London Grand Prix, forcing him to miss the World Championships and the remainder of the season.
Powell has been preparing for the Games where he reached the semi-finals and won a 4x100m relay silver medal at the previous event in Manchester in 2002, although his only track appearance so far has been in a low-key 400m race.
"Asafa’s groin has made tremendous improvements and his training has hit a new level," said Doyle. "Although we cannot say his groin is absolutely healed and at 100 per cent, we do not foresee this as a problem come March."
Powell heads a powerful Jamaican squad for Melbourne which includes world silver medallist Michael Frater and Dwight Thomas, who finished fifth in the Helsinki final.