Injury sidelines Powell

World 100 metres record holder Asafa Powell will delay the start to his season until the end of June because of injury.

The 25-year-old Jamaican has withdrawn from IAAF World Athletic Tour meetings in Doha, Oslo and Eugene to allow himself to recover after pulling a chest muscle while weight training.

Powell recently withdrew from the Mt Sac Relays in California and last weekend’s Penn Relays in Philadelphia.

The problem is not expected to interfere with his Olympic preparations where he is aiming to atone for his disappointing display at last summer’s World Championships.

He was well beaten in Osaka by American Tyson Gay and Bahamian Derrick Atkins after panicking and tightening up towards the finish of the race.

Powell, who afterwards went on to lower his world record to 9.74seconds, is expected to return to competition at the Jamaican Championships at the end of June.