- Mike Powell, 61, suspended indefinitely by Athletics Integrity Unit.
- Safeguarding concern triggered ban from all World Athletics-sanctioned events.
- Restrictions include competitions, official functions, and private access venues.
- Powell has been coaching at Azusa Pacific University since 2022.
- He remains the men’s long jump world record holder (8.95m, 1991).
- Suspension can be challenged through application or appeal.
Long jump great Mike Powell, the man who set the enduring 8.95m world record in 1991, has been suspended indefinitely by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) over a safeguarding issue.
The 61-year-old American, now part of the coaching staff at Azusa Pacific University in California, is barred from all activities organized or sanctioned by World Athletics, including competitions, official gatherings, and even hospitality areas linked to the sport.
Powell, who twice won Olympic silver and became a track and field icon after his record-breaking leap in Tokyo, will remain sidelined until further notice. The AIU noted that the suspension could be reviewed through an appeal process.
His university has yet to issue a formal statement as the athletics world reacts to the sudden development surrounding one of the sport’s most celebrated figures.
