Jackass sey de worl' no level. Jackass sey afta Safa season look so good 'im a fret 'bout dis ya grine sitten whe him a read 'bout.

Jackass has been a committed Asafa Powell supporter from almost day one. It is not just his speed, which is undoubted, but his attitude. Including that infernal restraint which seems to have held him back on the brink of hitting the ultimate level in sprinting time and time again.

You see, Asafa came up at a time when the American attitude to sprinting was so rank. It was not enough to be on top of the world, not for those quick American men. Nope, they had to be so blasted boastful as well. Prime among them were Michael Johnson and Justin Gatlin, in slightly overlapping eras. They were fast, yes, very fast, with their feet. But darn, their lips were faster.

Yap, yap, yap, yap, yap, strut, strut, strut, strut, profile, profile, profile, profile, profile, flag, flag, flag, flag, flag. It may have been a good time for men's sprinting, especially for the Stars and Stripes people, but for Jackass it was such a turn-off from the sport.

low-keyed attitude

Then came Asafa out of, it seemed, nowhere. He had not come up as a star through the Boys Champs ranks like so many we had seen before and he was not some huge superstar on the US college circuit that we could look at and say this was the man to watch.

But the biggest surprise was Asafa's low-keyed attitude. For some, it was an indication that he did not have the confidence to really go all the way. For others it was a signal that he could not handle all the attention that came with being, for a brief time, the fastest male sprinter who had ever lived.

For Jackass, it just meant humility, a personality trait that he values highly, and after the Americans' bombast and 'boasiness' it was such a relief.

Safa has remained Jackass' favourite current male sprinter to this day, win or lose, dance or not dance. This was even more so after his anchor leg in Beijing at the Olympics, when he finished like a train and said afterwards that he wanted Usain to get three gold medals and three world records.

And Jackass thought what a great guy.

But the world is not level at all, because many times great guys finish last, or third, or second. And when it comes on to World Championship and Olympic sprinting, in the finals, as history is concerned, you may as well come eighth as second. And last year Safa had this back injury and Jackass thought hmm, too much a da browning deh!

Then, after that early end to last season, Safa came back with a bang (or maybe without a certain bang, cause it look like him and the browning nah make it right now) to run some really fast times. Not only that - while not becoming boastful, his on-screen personality has become noticeably more vibrant. The big man start talk up more and start run through the line too.

And then braps, he pulled out of the last Diamond League meet before the World Championships because of a groin business. And Jackass start fret like woah. 'Cause this looks to be Safa's years and him jus' cyaa comprehen' sey one injury worry woulda jump up now.

Grine prablem, goweh! Come offa de man. Sciance fi yu!

Jackass sey de worl' no level. Jackass sey a Safa year dis no matta wha! An nex' year too, chat bout!