Asafa Powell ... another honour for world's premier sprinter. - FILE

MONACO, Monte Carlo (CMC):

JAMAICAN SPRINT ace Asafa Powell has copped the IAAF's Performer of the Month title for August on the strength of his world record run in Zurich. Powell equalled his own world mark of 9.77 seconds at the Zurich Golden League meet on August 18 and takes the monthly award for the second time this summer. He had already won the award in June after running the same time in Gateshead, and he is now the second male athlete in 2006 to win it twice. Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele won the award in February and April.

Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia, took the Women's Performer of the Month award for August for her win at the Brussels Golden League event on August 25. Dibaba missed her personal best over 5,000 metres by barely over 0.2 seconds when she won the Van Damme Memorial in Brussels in 14 minutes 30.63 seconds.

Withdraws from cup meet

And Powell's management has announced that the world-leading sprinter has withdrawn from the 100 metres at next weekend's IAAF World Cup in Athens.

"We made it (the decision) long ago," Powell's manager Paul Doyle said. "He has had a long season and is tired and we want to make sure that he is going to be ready for a long 2007 season."

But Powell, who has logged a remarkable 12 sub-10-second times this season over 100 metres, intends to compete in the sprint relay for the Americas.

"He still wants to run the relay, he wants to represent the region," Doyle said.