Asafa Powell is a track and field athlete who has competed for Jamaica. He competed at the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
Powell was considered one of the overwhelming favorites for a medal in the 100 metres at his Olympic debut in 2004, but he finished fifth in the final outside his personal best of 9.94 seconds. He scratched out from the 200 metres final for undisclosed reasons and could not get a chance for a medal in the 4x100 metres relay as the Jamaicans were eliminated from the prelims with a fourth-place feat in their heat.
The 100 metres final at Beijing 2008 witnessed Powell again finish in a disappointing fifth, with his other teammate Usain Bolt breaking a new world record for the gold medal. Powell rebounded from an out-of-medal feat to anchor the Jamaican men's 4x100 metres relay team for his first gold-medal triumph with a new world record.
Four years later in London, Powell faced a most disastrous final yet when he came last out of the top eight sprinters with a time of 11.99, due to a persistent groin injury. Though he reached the 100 metres finals for three consecutive editions, Powell remained as one of the fastest men of all time to have never received a single individual Olympic medal of any color.
Powell missed the cut in his individual races at the Jamaican trials for Rio de Janeiro 2016 but he was eventually selected as a member of the men's 4x100 metres relay team. As expected, he and his teammates, including Bolt, defeated the field of relay sprinters to comfortably win the gold in the final. Powell ended his fourth Olympic trip with two gold medals; however, in January 2017, he was stripped of the 4x100 metres relay gold from Beijing 2008 because his teammate Nesta Carter was found guilty of a doping violation, decreasing his gold medal total to one.
He is the younger brother of Sydney 2000 sprinter Donovan Powell.
Olympic Results[]
| Year | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Men's 100m | 5th |
| Men's 200m | 8th | |
| 2008 | Men's 100m | 5th |
| Men's 4x100m relay | DQ | |
| 2012 | Men's 100m | 7th |
| 2016 | Men's 4x100m relay | 
|
2004[]
| Distance | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 100 metres | Heats | 10.06 |
| Quarterfinal | 9.99 | |
| Semifinal | 9.95 | |
| Final | 9.94 | |
| 200 metres | Heats | 20.77 |
| Quarterfinal | 20.23 | |
| Semifinal | 20.56 | |
| Final | Withdrew |
2008[]
| Distance | Round | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 metres | Heats | 10.16 | |
| Quarterfinal | 10.02 | ||
| Semifinal | 9.91 | ||
| Final | 9.95 | ||
| 4x100 metres relay | Heats | 38.31 | |
| Final | 37.10 | WR |
2012[]
| Distance | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 100 metres | Heats | 10.04 |
| Semifinal | 9.94 | |
| Final | 11.99 |
2016[]
| Distance | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 4x100 metres relay | Heats | 37.94 |
| Final | 37.27 |
 Athletics 2016 • Men's 4x100 metre relay
|
|---|
| Nickel Ashmeade |
| Kemar Bailey-Cole |
| Yohan Blake |
| Usain Bolt |
| Jevaughn Minzie |
| Asafa Powell |