Not looking beyond 2018, says sub-10 king Asafa Powell

New Delhi: Jamaican sprint star Asafa Powell is one of the most decorated athletes of all time. His success story started back in 2002 when he bagged silver at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and there has been no looking back after that.

Though there was a stumble when he tested positive for a prohibited substance in 2013 and banned for 18 months, Powell was soon back on the track. He emerged with gold in the 4x100m relay at the Rio Olympics, but the two-time world champion does not see himself in action in the next Olympics in Tokyo 2020.

“I am not thinking about 2020 right now, the farthest I will be going is 2018, may be the Commonwealth Games and that’s where I see myself, just two years and not 2020,” said Powell, who is in the capital as the brand ambassador for the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon.

Powell is two short of the 100th sub-10 seconds 100 metre race in his career and the 33-year-old, who will be celebrating his birthday next week, would love to complete the feat in front of his home crowd.

“It depends on when my first and second competition will be. I would love to do it in Jamaica but I am nor sure right now how long it will take,” said the 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medallist.

Asked what the secret behind his long career was, Powell said, “I always keep myself motivated. After Sunday’s break, Monday is an easy day but Tuesday is a killer.

“It’s like step by step and day by day. Every day when you finish training you motivate yourself to train again the coming day. You need to love your job.”

Powell said competition in track and field was growing with each day.

“Sport is evolving. Athletes are getting more technical. Coaches are working harder. The sport has come a long way.”.

Powell, however, refused to comment on the recent rise in doping cases, putting the onus on the respective national federations to find a solution.

“Federations need to ensure that sports remain clean. I think they are doing their job and it’s really up to them to solve that problem,” he said.

“Its not my job to say whether it is right or not. The federations are the ones in charge and they should be doing their jobs. I am sure they are fixing the problem,” said the sprinter, whose personal best of 9.72 seconds is the fifth-fastest time in 100m history.