Powell appearance scuppered

Former 100 metre world record holder Asafa Powell was forced to pull out of the Athlone IT Grand Prix last night after suffering an injury to his groin during the warm-up for the event at the indoor arena of the Westmeath college.

Powell was meant to be one of the main high-profile competitors at the event, racing in the Men's 60 metres.

The Jamaican sprinter's expected appearance in Athlone had attracted some controversy with Powell only having returned to the track last summer.

He had been banned for testing positive for the drug oxilofrine in 2013, but had his 18-month suspension reduced to six months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport last year.

Last night would have been Powell's first appearance in Ireland and since his return to the competitive athletics he has ran three sub-ten second times, running the summer's third fastest 100m sprint, only slightly behind the United States' Justin Gatlin and Trinidad and Tobago's Richard Thompson's times.