Powell runs his second-fastest 200m for Jamaican win

KINGSTON (Reuters) - Former 100 meters world record holder Asafa Powell ran the second-fastest 200 meters of his career, 19.97 seconds, to win the Jamaican national championship Sunday.

"I was a bit cautious coming off the curve," Powell, who ran a solid straightaway, told Reuters via telephone. "It was a good race."

The time was the year's fifth fastest and within 0.07 of a second of Powell's 2006 personal best in the event which he infrequently runs.

"It shows what kind of shape I am in," said Powell, who has the year's top 100 meters time of 9.82 seconds.

World 100 and 200 meters record holder Usain Bolt skipped the championships, and Powell said he used the longer run to gain strength for future 100 meters races.

Like Powell, Olympic women's 100 meters gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser stepped up to the 200 and won in 22.49 seconds.

With Bolt and Powell absent, the men's 100 meters went to Oshane Bailey in 10.14 seconds.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina. Editing by Ian Ransom)