Asafa Powell in action during the men's A 100m race at the third Jamaica International Invitational meet at the National Stadium earlier this year. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
KINGSTON (CMC):
Jamaica's joint 100-metre world record holder Asafa Powell conceded Thursday he knows he will always be under suspicion for doping because of his fast times.
Powell's comment came in the wake of American Olympic 100-metre champion Justin Gatlin's positive drugs test, which the sprinter confirmed two Saturdays ago.
Powell said since Gatlin's positive test he has no doubt that he is under suspicion, especially since they both shared the world record of 9.77 seconds. However, he made it clear that it is not a bother to him.
INITIAL SUSPICION
"From start, I know people were going to say that about me - because I said that about everybody who ran fast when I was younger, so I expected that," Powell said on local television.
On the same day Gatlin broke the news to the media, Powell's agent Paul Doyle had jumped to his athlete's defence by saying his client is clean.
Powell also insisted he is drug free.
"I am Jamaican born, grew up in the church and there is nothing unfair about me. I am just trying to keep it that way," said Powell, who has already run eight sub-10 second times this season.
POSSIBLE LIFE BAN
Gatlin faces a possible lifetime ban after a previous positive and his world record matching run could be stricken from the books.
Meanwhile, Powell, along with World Championship 100-metre silver medallist Michael Frater, World Championship bronze medallist Brigitte Foster-Hylton and Olympic sprint relay gold medallist Sherone Simpson, among other Stephen Francis-coached MVP athletes rescheduled their European departure from yesterday and may now travel today or tomorrow to Golden League meets.
The group's late departure, ahead of the fourth IAAF Golden League meeting in Zurich next Friday, is due to the terrorist threats in London.
Powell has already won three of the six Golden League races and is poised to win a share of the US$1 million jackpot for competitors winning all their races in the series.
