Former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell ran an impressive time of 9.96 seconds at the Trinidad National Championships on Saturday June 21 on his return from injury.

It was the 25-year-old Jamaican's first race since sustaining a shoulder injury in weight training in April and only his second 100m run of 2008.

However Powell bettered his 10.04 seconds result in Melbourne, Australia in February this year, despite running in rain and into a slight head wind at Port of Spain.

Powell was a bit worried about the weather before competition, because the rain could easily have affected his injury. "I was a bit nervous about the conditions, he commented, "and also the fact that it was my first race back from injury."

The former world champion ran as a guest and only competed in the 100m semifinal race. He started slowly behind Trinidad's Richard Thompson but caught his rivals in the second half of the race to clock the sixth fastest 100m performance so-far this year.

It was Powell's 34th sub-10-second performance of his career. He has created two world records with times of 9.77 and 9.74. However his record was shattered by fellow Jamaican, Usain Bolt, who clocked 9.72 seconds at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York on May 31. Bolt has also run times of 9.76 and 9.92 this year.

Powell sat out Saturday's final -- but will go head-to-head with Bolt at next weekend's (June 27-29) Jamaican national championships and Olympic Trials in Kingston.

"The real challenge will come at the Beijing Olympics in August if Bolt decides to run the 100m, as well as the 200m," Powell added.

Last year's World Championship triple gold sprint medalist, Tyson Gay has also registered 9.85 in 2008. Powell is scheduled to race against Gay at the International Amateur Athletics Federation Grand Prix in London at the end of July.

All three sprinters - Gay, Bolt and Powell -- should meet at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games in August.

(BOCOG June 24, 2008)