Donovan Powell
Encyclopedia
Donovan Powell is a former sprinter
who specialised in the 60 metres
and 100 metres
events. He is the brother of Asafa Powell
, a former 100 m world record holder.
Powell had his first successes at the CARIFTA Games
, where he won two silver medals in 1989, before taking the 200 metres
title in 1990. He first represented Jamaica at the global level at the 1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships
. He began attending Texas Christian University
and had success at the 1994 NCAA championships, taking third in the 100 m and anchoring the TCU Horned Frogs
to a relay gold. The next year he took a silver medal over 55 metres
indoors and won another silver outdoors, setting his 10.07 seconds personal best for the 100 m.
He qualified for the 1995 World Championships
with a second place at the Jamaican National Championships, but his test from the competition came back positive for the stimulant ephedrine
and he was banned for three months. After returning to competition he ran at the 1997 World Championships
(reaching the quarter-finals) and he was sixth in the final of the 60 m at the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships
. He represented Jamaica at the Olympics
at the 2000 Sydney Games
, running in the relay heats.
His final international appearance came at the 2001 CAC Championships
, where he was seventh in the 100 m final. He retired from athletics in 2002 and is now a youth track coach in Texas
.
in Spanish Town
and Texas Christian University
in Fort Worth, Texas
. He represented the TCU Horned Frogs
while studying at the university.
At the CARIFTA Games he won the Under 20 Men 200 m in 21.42 s (wind -3.7 m/s) as well as the 4x100 m relay in 40.66 s
Powell repeated his success at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, again anchoring the TCU 4x100 m relay team to first place, and finished second in the 100 m in his personal best 10.07. He finished second in the 100 m at the Jamaican National Championships with a run of 10.15 seconds. At the Bislett Games
in July he ran 10.13 in the heats and then took second behind Linford Christie
, running 10.15 seconds into a headwind.
Powell received a three month ban from competition for a doping offense as his test was positive for the stimulant ephedrine
. He was disqualified from participating in the 1995 World Championships in Athletics
.
Later in January, he won the 60 m at the Boston Indoor Games, in 6.64 s.
He won the 60 m at the Atlanta US Indoor Championships in 6.55s in March.
Powell won the May Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava. His time of 10.13 is listed as the sixth fastest in the history of the event.
World Championships
in 10.35 s, and did not progress to the next round. The Jamacian team did not start the first heat of the 4x100 m relay, for which Powell was supposed to run first leg.
At the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships
in Maebashi, Japan
Powell finished sixth in the 60 m final with a time of 6.59 s.
Powell ran the first leg of the 4x100 m relay in round one of competition at the Sydney Olympics
. The team qualified for the semi-final with a time of 38.97 and eventually finished fourth in the final without Powell running a leg.
At the Texas relays in April Powell helped to win the 4x100 m relay in 39.16, along with team mates Milton Mallard, Kareem Streete-Thompson
and Obadele Thompson
.
In August Powell finished fourth in 10.44 in the 100 m in Lappeenranta, Finland.
Powell finished seventh in the 100 m at the Jamaica National Championships in June, his time 10.31 s.
At the CAC Championships in Guatemala City Powell finished seventh in the 100 m, his time 10.51 s. The 4x100 m relay team qualified with the second fastest time but recorded a DNF in the final.
All information taken from IAAF profile.
In 2003 Donovan lost another brother, Vaughn Powell, who suffered a fatal heart attack while playing a game of American Football.
In April 2007 Corey Reid, an uncle of Powell, was stabbed in Waterloo, Ewarton
, St. Catherine. He later died in hospital.
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
who specialised in the 60 metres
60 metres
60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes...
and 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
events. He is the brother of Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell C.D is a Jamaican sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres. He held the 100 m world record between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively. Powell has consistently broken the 10-second barrier in competition, with his personal best of...
, a former 100 m world record holder.
Powell had his first successes at the CARIFTA Games
CARIFTA Games
For the CARIFTA swimming meet, please see: CARIFTA Swimming Championships.The CARIFTA Games is an annual athletics competition founded by the Caribbean Free Trade Association . The games was first held in 1972 and consists of track and field events including sprint races, hurdles,...
, where he won two silver medals in 1989, before taking the 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
title in 1990. He first represented Jamaica at the global level at the 1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships
1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 4th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Skydome in Toronto, Canada from March 12 to March 14, 1993. It was the last Indoor Championships to feature the 5,000 and 3,000 metres race walk events. In addition, it was the first Indoor Championships to include heptathlon and...
. He began attending Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
and had success at the 1994 NCAA championships, taking third in the 100 m and anchoring the TCU Horned Frogs
TCU Horned Frogs
The TCU Horned Frogs are the athletic teams that represent Texas Christian University, consisting of 18 varsity teams. The "horned frog" nickname and mascot refer to the Texas horned lizard, as known as the "horned frog". The women's athletics teams are often referred to often as the Lady Frogs...
to a relay gold. The next year he took a silver medal over 55 metres
55 metres
55 metres is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes....
indoors and won another silver outdoors, setting his 10.07 seconds personal best for the 100 m.
He qualified for the 1995 World Championships
1995 World Championships in Athletics
The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13.This edition featured 1804 athletes from 191 nations....
with a second place at the Jamaican National Championships, but his test from the competition came back positive for the stimulant ephedrine
Ephedrine
Ephedrine is a sympathomimetic amine commonly used as a stimulant, appetite suppressant, concentration aid, decongestant, and to treat hypotension associated with anaesthesia....
and he was banned for three months. After returning to competition he ran at the 1997 World Championships
1997 World Championships in Athletics
The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10, 1997. In this event participated 1882 athletes from 198 participant nations...
(reaching the quarter-finals) and he was sixth in the final of the 60 m at the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships
1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 7th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held in the Green Dome Maebashi stadium in Maebashi, Japan from March 5 to March 7, 1999. It was the first time the Championships were staged outside Europe or North America. Primo Nebiolo, president of the IAAF, characterized the...
. He represented Jamaica at the Olympics
Jamaica at the Olympics
Jamaica first participated at the Olympic Games in 1948, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then. In 1960, Jamaican athletes competed as part of the West Indies Federation team....
at the 2000 Sydney Games
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, running in the relay heats.
His final international appearance came at the 2001 CAC Championships
2001 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
The 2001 Central American Championships in Athletics were held in Guatemala City, Guatemala.-Men's events:-Women's events:A = affected by altitude-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics* - GBR Athletics...
, where he was seventh in the 100 m final. He retired from athletics in 2002 and is now a youth track coach in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Career
Powell attended St. Jago High SchoolSt. Jago High School
St Jago High School in Spanish Town, St Catherine, Jamaica, founded in 1744, is one of the oldest, continuously operated schools in the Western Hemisphere...
in Spanish Town
Spanish Town
Spanish Town is the capital and the largest town in the parish of St. Catherine in the county of Middlesex, Jamaica. It was the former Spanish and English capital of Jamaica from the 16th to the 19th century...
and Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
in Fort Worth, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He represented the TCU Horned Frogs
TCU Horned Frogs
The TCU Horned Frogs are the athletic teams that represent Texas Christian University, consisting of 18 varsity teams. The "horned frog" nickname and mascot refer to the Texas horned lizard, as known as the "horned frog". The women's athletics teams are often referred to often as the Lady Frogs...
while studying at the university.
1989
Powell finished second in the Under 20 Men 100m at the CARIFTA Games, time 10.64 s, second in the 200 m in 21.8 s and first in the 4x100 m relay in 40.4 s1990
Powell famously defeated Daniel England in the Class one 200 m at the ISSA High School Championships, giving England his only loss in four years at the Championships.At the CARIFTA Games he won the Under 20 Men 200 m in 21.42 s (wind -3.7 m/s) as well as the 4x100 m relay in 40.66 s
1993
Competing at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Powell finished sixth in his heat, time 7.02 s.1994
Powell finished third in the 100 m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and anchored the TCU 4x100 m relay team to first place.1995
At the NCAA Indoor Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, Powell finished second in the 55 m, his time 6.19 On May 19 Powell was hand timed at 9.7 s in Houston. It is a disqualified time for record purposes.Powell repeated his success at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, again anchoring the TCU 4x100 m relay team to first place, and finished second in the 100 m in his personal best 10.07. He finished second in the 100 m at the Jamaican National Championships with a run of 10.15 seconds. At the Bislett Games
Bislett Games
The Bislett Games is an annual track and field event at the Bislett Stadion in Oslo, Norway. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League. It is sponsored by ExxonMobil and officially known as the ExxonMobil Bislett Games.-History:The first...
in July he ran 10.13 in the heats and then took second behind Linford Christie
Linford Christie
Linford Cicero Christie OBE is a former sprinter from the United Kingdom. He is the only British man to have won gold medals in the 100 metres at all four major competitions open to British athletes: the Olympic Games, the World Championships, the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games...
, running 10.15 seconds into a headwind.
Powell received a three month ban from competition for a doping offense as his test was positive for the stimulant ephedrine
Ephedrine
Ephedrine is a sympathomimetic amine commonly used as a stimulant, appetite suppressant, concentration aid, decongestant, and to treat hypotension associated with anaesthesia....
. He was disqualified from participating in the 1995 World Championships in Athletics
1995 World Championships in Athletics
The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13.This edition featured 1804 athletes from 191 nations....
.
1996
In January Powell finished second by .01 s to Donovan Bailey in the 60 m at the Montreal Grand Prix. He had previously finished second to Bailey in the 50 m one week prior in Hamilton, and second again two days later in the 60 m behind Bruny Surin.Later in January, he won the 60 m at the Boston Indoor Games, in 6.64 s.
He won the 60 m at the Atlanta US Indoor Championships in 6.55s in March.
Powell won the May Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava. His time of 10.13 is listed as the sixth fastest in the history of the event.
1997
After the 1996 season his form declined and he did not manage to run under 10.20 seconds for the rest of his career. Slowest out of the starting blocks, Powell finished sixth in his second round heat of the 100 m at the AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
World Championships
1997 World Championships in Athletics
The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10, 1997. In this event participated 1882 athletes from 198 participant nations...
in 10.35 s, and did not progress to the next round. The Jamacian team did not start the first heat of the 4x100 m relay, for which Powell was supposed to run first leg.
1998
At the Texas A&M All-Comers on May 9, Powell recorded the fastest time in the 100 m, 10.16 s. This time made Powell the tenth ranked Commonwealth Athlete for the period January to August.1999
In the February Stockholm Indoor Meeting Powell finished fourth in the 60 m final, in 6.68 s.At the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships
1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 7th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held in the Green Dome Maebashi stadium in Maebashi, Japan from March 5 to March 7, 1999. It was the first time the Championships were staged outside Europe or North America. Primo Nebiolo, president of the IAAF, characterized the...
in Maebashi, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Powell finished sixth in the 60 m final with a time of 6.59 s.
2000
At the Sprint Invitational Track & Field Meet in January Powell finished fourth in heat one of the 60 m, in 6.78 s.Powell ran the first leg of the 4x100 m relay in round one of competition at the Sydney Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. The team qualified for the semi-final with a time of 38.97 and eventually finished fourth in the final without Powell running a leg.
At the Texas relays in April Powell helped to win the 4x100 m relay in 39.16, along with team mates Milton Mallard, Kareem Streete-Thompson
Kareem Streete-Thompson
Kareem Streete-Thompson is an athlete specializing in the long jump and the 100 metres. He was born in Ithaca, New York.Although born in the USA, he lived his first 18 years in the Cayman Islands...
and Obadele Thompson
Obadele Thompson
Obadele Thompson is a sprint athlete from Barbados;. In 2000, he became the first Olympic medalist from Barbados with a bronze medal in the 100m race.-Biography:...
.
In August Powell finished fourth in 10.44 in the 100 m in Lappeenranta, Finland.
2001
In February Powell won his heat of the University of Houston/Runsport All-Comers meet. His 60 m time was 6.88s.Powell finished seventh in the 100 m at the Jamaica National Championships in June, his time 10.31 s.
At the CAC Championships in Guatemala City Powell finished seventh in the 100 m, his time 10.51 s. The 4x100 m relay team qualified with the second fastest time but recorded a DNF in the final.
Post competition life
Powell is now a youth track coach in Texas. He also conducts speed enhancement clinics at other locals.Personal bests
His personal best in the 50 m event is the second fastest time by a Jamaican.| Event | Time (seconds) | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 metres 50 metres 50 metres is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor athletics competitions it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes... |
5.64 | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... , France |
3 June 1995 |
| 60 metres 60 metres 60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes... |
6.51 | Atlanta, United States | 2 March 1996 |
| 100 metres 100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896... |
10.07 | Knoxville, United States | 3 June 1995 |
| 200 metres 200 metres A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first... |
20.83 | Cayenne Cayenne Cayenne is the capital of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic coast. The city's motto is "Ferit Aurum Industria" which means "Work brings wealth"... , French Guiana |
4 May 2002 |
All information taken from IAAF profile.
Personal life
In 2002 one of Donovan's brothers, Michael Powell, was shot dead in a taxi in New York.In 2003 Donovan lost another brother, Vaughn Powell, who suffered a fatal heart attack while playing a game of American Football.
In April 2007 Corey Reid, an uncle of Powell, was stabbed in Waterloo, Ewarton
Ewarton
-History:The name is most likely a compound of the surname "Ewart" and the suffix -ton, meaning town.The town's economy prospered particularly from 1957 when ALCAN established a bauxite plant nearby...
, St. Catherine. He later died in hospital.