KINGSTON, Jamaica— Retired sprinter Asafa Powell will be honoured with the 2024 Bleu & Bougie Superstar Award during the event this weekend at Devon House in Kingston.

Powell is one of Jamaica’s most decorated athletes, winning multiple medals at the Olympics and World Championships before announcing his retirement from track and field in 2022.

Promoted by Elite Weekend, Bleu & Bougie takes place on Saturday, while White Soiree En Blanc takes place the following day. The series closes two days before the start of the Boys’ and Girls’ Championships at the National Stadium.

Bleu & Bougie, co-producer Jerry McDonald, said Powell’s achievements are being acknowledged because of his global impact.

“Asafa has contributed significantly to the success of athletics globally. He has broken the 100-metre world record twice, between June 2005 and May 2008 with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds. He will forever be regarded as the ‘Sub 10 King’ in athletics, having broken the 10-second barrier 97 times in the 100 metres, which is more times than any other athlete,” McDonald said.

The 41-year-old Powell won three gold medals at the Olympics and World Championships as a member of Jamaica’s 4X100 metre relay team. He also won five World Athletics Final individual gold medals over the 100 and 200-metre events.

He joins an impressive list of Bleu & Bougie Superstar Award recipients including television personality Safaree (Lloyd Samuels) of Love & Hip Hop; artistes Bounty Killer and Nadine Sutherland; producer/sound system selector Kurt Riley and music industry veteran Cristy Barber.

Bleu & Bougie and White Soiree En Blanc are popular events staged by Jamaicans in New York City. The food and drinks-inclusive gigs will have music by Colin Hines, Bishop Escobar, Richie Ras, Rich Rocc and MV Stone, representing Jamaica. Representing New York are DJ Roy of Road International and Icopsycho.