Date:27/07/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/07/27/stories/2006072708502000.htm

Sport - Athletics

Powell in sublime form

Asafa Powell. — FILE PHOTO: AP

STOCKHOLM: Asafa Powell failed in his latest bid to reclaim sole ownership of the world 100m record here on Tuesday, but was still too strong for a star-studded field at the Stockholm Super Grand Prix.

The 23-year-old Jamaican sprinter, who shares the world mark with American Olympic champion Justin Gatlin at 9.77s, romped home in 9.86 at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium, the fourth fastest time of the year.

Although Powell was frustrated in his attempt to better his World mark, he will take consolation from the fact that his win came with a near non-existent following wind of +0.2 m/s. With a stronger legal breeze behind him, the record would have been in serious jeopardy.

The results:

Men: 100m: 1. Asafa Powell 9.86s, 2. Tyson Gay 9.97, 3. Marcus Brunson 10.09.

200m: 1. Wallace Spearmon 20.08, 2. Lashawn Merritt 20.25, 3. Rodney Martin 20.62. 400m: 1. Jeremy Wariner 44.02, 2. Gary Kikaya 44.53, 3. Brandon Simpson 44.87.

800m: 1. Saad Youssef Kamel 1: 44.50s, 2. Amine Laalou 1:44.64, 3. Khadevis Robinson 1:44.86. 1,500m: 1. Kenenisa Bekele 3:33.08, 2. Isaac Songok 3:33.25, 3. Adil Kaouch 3:33.36. 5,000m: 1. Boniface Kiprop 12:57.11, 2. Abderrahim Goumri 12:57.89, 3. Jonas Cheruiyot 12:59.08.

110m hurdles: 1. Aries Merritt 13.17. 2. Stanislav Olijar and Robby Hughes (tie) 13.43. High jump: 1. Ivan Uchov 2.32m, 2. Andrei Silnov 2.32, 3. Stefan Holm 2.27. Javelin: 1. Andreas Thorkildsen 89.78, 2. Jan Zelezny 85.08, 3. Stefan Wenk 80.90.

Women: 200m: 1. Sherone Simpson 22.00, 2. Sanya Richards 22.35, 3. Debbie Ferguson 22.59.

1,500m: 1. Maryam Jamal 3:58.96, 2. Latifa Essarokh 3:59.61, 3. Sarah Jamieson 4:00.93.

3,000m: 1. Meseret Defar 8:24.66, 2. Gelete Burka 8:25.92, 3. Edith Masai 8:27.17. 100 hurdles: 1. Michelle Perry 12.60, 2. Brigitte Foster Hylton 12.72, 3. Lolo Jones 12.74. Long jump: 1. Oksana Udmurtova 6.74, 2. Naide Gomes 6.73, 3. Bronwyn Thompson 6.71.

Pole vault: 1. Monika Pyrek 4.62, 2. Yelena Isinbayeva 4.62, 3. Jennifer Stuczynski and Svetlana Feofanova 4.52 (tie).

High jump: 1. Kajsa Bergqvist 2.02, 2. Anna Chicherova 1.93, 3. Amy Acuff 1.93. — Agencies