Asafa Powell will race in Birmingham as part of Olympic preparation

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) -- Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell will race in Birmingham in February as part of his winter indoor season ahead of the Olympics in London.

The former world record-holder in the 100 meters said Tuesday "the caliber of athletes there has always been strong and if I'm going to be challenging for medals, I need to be racing against the best opposition all the way up until the Olympics."

Powell will run indoors next season for the first time since 2004 to hone his preparations for the London Olympics. There he hopes to challenge compatriots Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake for gold in the 100.

The central English city of Birmingham will be the base for the Jamaican team in the lead-up to the games.

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