BEIJING, China — For years he has got the stick for not delivering on the big occasions, but despite his failure once again in the 100m in Beijing, Asafa Powell has shown a good quality as a team player.

The former world record holder, put his foot down, showed a lot of guts and dug into Justin Gatlin’s advantage on the second leg, setting the stage for Jamaica’s victory in the men’s 4X100m relay at the recent IAAF World Championships.

It might not have been a huge reduction, but he did enough to keep Jamaica in the race and kept the pressure on the Americans knowing none other than Usain Bolt will be anchoring for Jamaica.

Powell, who will be 33 years old in November, was asked to run the second and most crucial leg because that’s where the Americans were hoping to win the race, just as they did at the Penn Relays and again at the World Relays. It was the first time Powell was asked to run the second leg and that he did.

“It wasn’t that strange, but I am not used to getting and passing off the baton. But it’s a good feeling and I will do anything for the team,” Powell said. He continued: “If they want me to run the third leg I will do it, start leg, it’s the team and we have to work together the best way to make it work.”

Powell is not used to running the second leg and he was involved in two scary exchanges. “The changes were horrible between me and Nesta and between me and Ashmeade, but we got the stick around… we knew we would have got it around,” said Powell. Jamaica won in 37.36 seconds ahead of the Americans, who were later disqualified.

“I ran a great back stretch and I am happy with how I ran and to get the gold medal is what we came here for and we did just so,” he added. “They wanted someone who could handle Justin on the backstretch and they chose me and I am happy for that,” Powell revealed.

Powell, in his fifth World Championships, now has two relay gold medals one won in 2009, a silver from 2007 and two individual 100m bronze medals, taking his tally to five overall. “It’s a good feeling to come back and get that gold medal in the relay. I am happy for the other guys, happy for Rashhed Dwyer as well, he ran in the heats and he is getting a medal as well,” Powell noted.