Asafa calls time on track career

Olympian Asafa Powell has officially announced his retirement from track and field.

Powell, who last competed in May of 2021, according to World Athletics, took to social media today, closing the chapter on a career spanning almost two decades, while at the same time celebrating his 40th birthday this week.

"Was a great week of celebrating my birthday and officially putting down my spikes, opening a new chapter in my life," Powell tweeted.

Powell holds the record of having the most sub-10-second 100-metre performances in history, the last coming in September 2016.

Powell twice set the world record between 2005 and 2008, clocking 9.77 in the first instance, before lowering it to 9.74. The speedster’s last world record lasted for three years until multiple World and Olympic champion Usain Bolt broke it.

Powell has won two individual World Championship bronze medals, one 2007 and the other two years later. He was also a Commonwealth Games 100m champion in 2006 and was a part of two World Championship 4x100m gold-medal winning teams in 2009 and 2015. He was also a part of the 4x100m team that won Olympic gold in 2016.

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