Date:14/02/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/02/14/stories/2004021400551900.htm

Sport - Athletics

Powell focusing on a comeback at 40

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, FEB. 13. Mike Powell, who is in India after being invited to grace the Standard Chartered Mumbai International Marathon 2004 as one of the VIPs, is happy that drug cheats in American athletics are getting exposed.

"When a name comes out, I laugh,'' said Powell when asked about the tangle that US athletes are finding themselves in due to positive dope tests. "I'm hurt, but it helps (the sport),'' he said, explaining his feelings about the situation.

"Athletics is not the only sport affected (of athletes caught taking banned substances in the form of energy supplements) but an attempt is being made (to hide the cheats),'' he added.

Powell, who admitted to being shocked when Carl Lewis' name was mentioned as one of the offenders, strongly felt that any one who tries to cheat (the system) is taking a short cut which is not going to help the sport.

The long jump ace, focussing on a comeback at 40 after branching out into coaching US Olympic hopefuls and at collegiate level, is eying a spot in the US squad at the 2004 Athens Olympics this August.

"It started out as a joke, but I know that a 8.30 will get me a place for the Olympic trials. The same distance should be enough for a medal (at Athens),'' said the world long jump record holder who is credited with a personal best of 8.95m at the 1991 World Championships, bettering Bob Beamon's `leap of the century' in the process. He credits Carl Lewis for injecting the competitive element on that historic day at Tokyo.

"It (Athens comeback) all started out as a joke but I'm back for the challenge. I know what I am capable of, what my body can do. Technique has actually become better due to the coaching,'' quipped Powell, who is confident of qualifying for the US trials in July as long as he can stay healthy.

Powell was coach to women's long jump hopeful Anju George, with whom he last worked at the Paris World Athletics in 2003. "Anju is a talented jumper and will do well, whether training with me or not. She has improved her consistency and competitiveness,'' he pointed out, when asked about the prospect of assisting her with her preparations for Athens.