Powell out until Jamaican Olympic trials after chest injury

World 100 metres record holder Asafa Powell will be out of competition until the end of June after sustaining a chest muscle injury in training, but should be back working out within another week.

Paul Doyle, manager for the Jamaican sprint star, told AFP Tuesday that the chest strain is responding well to treatment in Florida after an injury suffered while lifting weights.

"I just spoke to the doctor and everything is going well with Asafa," Doyle said Tuesday. "Rehab is going very well. He will be back in training in no time... He will be able to resume full training probably next week."

Powell will not compete again until the Jamaican National Olympic trials June 27-29.

"It doesn't make sense to get right back into competition now," Doyle said. "He needs to get back into a bit of training and ready to compete at the trials and then post-trials before the Olympics.

"The big picture this year is winning the Olympic Games so that's all we are looking to do - give Asafa the best possible chance of that.

"And we feel for him not to compete before the trials is the best way to prepare him for the Olympics."

Powell had been due to compete in last week's Penn Relays in the United States, but the injury forced him to withdraw.

He will also be unable to race as planned in Doha on May 9, Berlin on June 1 and Oslo on June 6.

"He (Powell) pulled a pectoral muscle in his chest while bench pressing a while ago," Doyle said. "The muscle is torn, but it's not a huge deal.

"It's not like a power muscle for running, but it still active when he swings his arms. So he is going to have to have period of time when he is not able to train fully."

Powell set the world 100m record at 9.74 seconds in Italy last September.