Jamaica's Asafa Powell (left) crosses the finish line ahead of Churandy Martina (centre) from the Netherlands Antilles and Portugal's Francis Obikwelu in the men's 100m at the IAAF World Athletics Final in Stuttgart, Germany, last Saturday. Powell clocked a meet record 9.83. Martina was sixth in 10.23 and Obikwelu fourth in 10.17. Jamaica's Michael Frater was third in 10.11. - AP

APART FROM running 9.74 seconds to set a new world record, Asafa Powell continues to demonstrate that he is truly the fastest human in the world.

In an impressive display, Powell ran the fastest time in a negative wind to win the 100m at the IAAF VTB World Athletics Final in Stuttgart last Saturday.

It was with such a performance that Powell, who ran an amazing Championship record 9.83 seconds into a headwind of 0.3 m/s, was easily voted The Gleaner's Top Performer of the Week.

Following his disappointing third-place finish at the World Championships in Osaka, Powell, 24, again was determined to show that he's still in "world-record shape" as he ran his sixth-fastest race ever.

Powell is the only man to have run under 9.8 seconds five times - 9.77 (three times), 9.74 and 9.78, which was done on the same day of his world-record run.

During Saturday's race, he left in his wake Jaysuma Saidy Ndure of Norway, his closest rival by more than two-tenths of a second.

Ndure was timed in 10.06, a national record, while Jamaica's Michael Frater (10.11) came in third.

Powell, the Commonwealth champion, described the run as "one of the best".

He was also pleased to run fast after a false start.

"I am very happy and impressed to run this great time," Powell said. "It is still the third-fastest time."

The performance also earned him US$30,000 (J$2.1 million).

- A.F.