Asafa Powell- World sports biggest choker?

He's just smashed the world 100 metre record, having clocked 9.74 seconds at a meet in Italy, but whenever he's raced in the big events like the Olympics or the world championships that were on a couple of weeks back, he's been extremely dissapointing.

Im not really sure how you can choke at running- Surely nerves and anxiety can only make someone run faster? But he seems to do it.

Perhaps some 'athletes' are unable to take all of their 'vitamins' during major competitions as blood-testing medal winners is mandatory, whereas at all other times of the sporting calendar it's 'random'.

Henry wrote:He's just smashed the world 100 metre record, having clocked 9.74 seconds at a meet in Italy, but whenever he's raced in the big events like the Olympics or the world championships that were on a couple of weeks back, he's been extremely dissapointing.

Im not really sure how you can choke at running- Surely nerves and anxiety can only make someone run faster? But he seems to do it.

But if he "misses" the start ...it's not going to matter how fast he runs

So let me get this straight...Sandy has turned the breaking of a world record into something negative?

Whodathunkit.

Being a boy named Asafa must have honed his running skills under conditions unrelated to the Olympics.

Invader Zim wrote:So let me get this straight...Sandy has turned the breaking of a world record into something negative?

Whodathunkit.

Sandy's location is given as 'at the top of the labia'

Decribes precisely how I think of him.

Still, a prophetic thread.

*applause*

Thankyou. Thankyou very much. There must now surely be a picture of the guy under the word 'choker' in the dictionary.

Powell came 5th in 100m final, right?

yes at both Athens and Beijing

And now he clocks 9.72 overnight - second fastest time ever.

Man, but did he have that FloJo acceleration in the last 30 m or what?? Juiced to the eyeballs.

Apparently Bolt and Powell are racing off on Saturday.

Let's hope the race lives up to the hype.

"Who knows? Maybe I'm not the guy for those big championships but just the guy to compete in the Grand Prix and Golden League meetings. It's just unfortunate."

Yeah, that's not the attitude of a winner is it?

to make this thread cricket relevant

I wasn’t fast enough for cricket, says fastest man

Lausanne, September 4: Growing up in rural Trelawny in Jamaica, he had only one dream — to be a pace bowler and make a name in cricket. But then he ran into Pablo McNeil, a local sports teacher, who led him to the tracks. Usain Bolt never looked back and in Beijing last month, the fastest man on earth was hailed as the most exciting track-and-field star the world has seen in more than a decade.

“I played cricket till the junior level. I was around 12-13 when I left the game,” said Bolt during a chat on the sidelines of the Athletisima Super Grand Prix in Lausanne. Asked why he left cricket, he said: “I was not fast enough. But I was good at running. Some of my friends used to make fun that my run-up to the crease was faster than my deliveries.”

Teacher McNeil was dead right when he told him that the track was his natural home. At age 15, Bolt set a junior world record for 200m with 20.61 seconds. Two years later, he became the first junior sprinter to break 20 seconds for 200m. And in Beijing, he showed why he is the best.

Bolt retains his love for cricket and follows the game closely. “I enjoy watching Sachin Tendulkar, Chris Gayle and Matthew Hayden. They are all aggressive players and I like it that way. Especially Freddie Flintoff because that is how I used to play.” He is very impressed by the Twenty20 format and roots for the Australian cricket team. He also follows the NBA and football — he is a Real Madrid supporter.

So what does Usain Bolt do other than running? He loves animation movies and usually carries cartoon CDs. He can also tap a foot or two, on and off the track. Even in the dining hall. “That’s a true Jamaican,” said Patrick Darson, friend and Bolt’s strength trainer. “He enjoys every moment. So don’t be surprised if he starts shaking his body while sitting on a chair. Usain hasn’t changed a bit even after getting to the stage where he is today.”

Bolt agrees. “I wouldn’t say I’m a phenomenon. I’m probably just a great athlete.”

Hopefully he'll learn the art of being humble in the years to come. But yes, he IS a great athlete. Actually, he probably IS a phenomenom.

I enjoy watching Sachin Tendulkar

Legend.

roots for the Australian cricket team.

Qunt.

Bolt beats Powell again, completing his race in 9.77 sec. Powell finished in 9.83 sec.

Here is what Bolt had to say about Powell,

"Asafa is a really fast guy," Bolt said. "I'm getting used to chasing him."

The poor guy cocked up the 100 metre final again and finished last. To be fair, a thigh injury was blamed, but he is destined to forever be remembered as the bridesmaid of Jamaican and World athletics.

He's not even a choker these days. Bolt, Blake, Gay, and Bailey are all considered better sprinters than him these days.

Asafa doesn't even medal, after Albert deSalvo and his mates run away with the podium places.

He has one more Olympic gold medal than anyone else on this forum.

Yep, when he's got team mates around him to ease the nerves and pressure of running for himself. I think he's a good sprinter, but he just goes to pieces in the big events, the poor sod. Even his coach has said as much.

To be fair, he was never the best in the world during an Olympics. He had the WR from 05 to early 08.

And he did of course win a Commonwealth Games gold