Powell’s Spike Fetches US$1,830 For IAAF Charity

World record holder, Asafa Powell’s right foot sprinting spike, which he wore when he set the men’s 100 metres world record in Athens, Greece, last June, has helped the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to raise over US$30,000 for charity.
Powell was among scores of world class athletes, past and present, who donated gifts, including clothing, bib numbers and running shoes, in an auction conducted on the IAAF’s website. His spike was sold for US$1,830.74, the third highest figure.
Cash collected in the IAAF’s humanitarian project, ‘Athletics for a Better World’, is being given to three United Nations organisations – Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Food Programme (WFP).
The total will be equally divided among the three partners and the IAAF is paying all auction fees and the cost of shipping the items to their winning bidders around the world.
The auction ended yesterday (January 31), and the last item on offer, the gold medal competition kit and bib number, which Hicham El Guerrouj wore when he won his first ever global title, raised the most for any individual item – US$3,406.98. The second highest sale price was the US$2,443.01 bid for Haile Gebrselassie’s framed 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games competition bib number.
A release from the IAAF said President, Lamine Diack expressed sincere thanks to all who participated. “On behalf of the IAAF, I would like to sincerely thank all those athletes and fans who have taken part in this first ever online auction to raise money and public awareness for UN humanitarian causes,” he said.
“When we first launched ‘Athletics for a Better World’, we did so with the confidence that our sport’s top stars, past and present, would show that they cared deeply about creating a better world, by donating articles of personal value. Thanks to the support of the public, I am delighted that we are now able to donate more than US$30,000, divided equally between FAO, UNICEF, and WFP, and that we have also helped to publicise the important work being done by these UN organisations,” he said.