Although Asafa Powell's family has been mourning the loss of a loved one, joy came with the sprinter's bronze-medal run in the 100m in Berlin, Germany.

"We were looking for a second- place finish," William Powell, Asafa's father, told The Gleaner yesterday afternoon. "However, seeing that it's 1-3, we feel very pleased to know that 'safa has medalled for his country. And at the end of the race when they hugged, we simply said, 'A born Jamaican. We proud o' dem'."

Powell also congratulated Usain Bolt, who won in a record-breaking 9.58 seconds.

"He is indeed a phenomenon," he said. "We did not inform Asafa, though, that his aunt had died as we feel that this would have distracted him, as the young man seems to be surrounded with death at each of the World Championships he has attended.

"In the first two (championships), two of his brothers died and now his aunt passed away. We buried her yesterday."

Powell said that despite his son not winning gold or silver, he was very proud, as Asafa, who clocked 9.84 in yesterday's final, told him he had suffered a slight injury during the semis.

rasbert.turner@gleanerjm.com