Athletics-Powell, Richards named athletes of year

NEW YORK, Dec 23 (Reuters) Jamaican world record holder Asafa Powell and US sprinter Sanya Richards were named Track&Field News magazine's athletes of the year.

The 23-year-old Powell twice equalled his 100 metres world record of 9.77 seconds and ran under 10 seconds a record 12 times in 2006.

The Jamaican-born Richards capped an unbeaten 400 metres season with an American record of 48.70 seconds at the IAAF World Cup.

Both Powell and Richards were previously named IAAF athletes of the year.

REUTERS MQA PM0812