Jamaica's Asafa Powell runs to win the men's 100-metre race in 9.72 seconds at the Athletissima athletics meeting in the Stade Olympique in Lausanne, Switzerland, yesterday. - AP
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP):
Asafa Powell matched the second fastest 100 metres in history and Usain Bolt clocked the second fastest 200 this year, as the Jamaican friends and rivals dominated the Athletissima Grand Prix yesterday.
Powell's time of 9.72 seconds equalled the old world record set by Bolt in New York City last May. Only Bolt has run faster, in his astonishing Olympic gold medal-winning run of 9.69 in Beijing last month.
As then, Bolt eased up before the finish line yesterday, crossing in 19.63 to leave himself 0.33 outside the world mark.
Personal best
Powell's time was a personal best by two-hundredths and was one-tenth faster than his season's best, run in Monaco before his relative loss of form on the Olympic stage where he finished fifth.
"I've got no idea why I'm always winning on the circuit but then finishing fifth at the Olympics," said Powell, who was also fifth in the Athens Olympic final in 2004.
"Who knows? Maybe I'm not the guy for those big championships but just the guy to compete in the Grand Prix and Golden League meetings. It's just unfortunate," added Powell.
Bolt praised his fellow Jamaican whose world record, set at 9.74, he took in May.
"He (Asafa) did well tonight and I congratulate him," said Bolt, who ran 30 minutes after Powell electrified the Lausanne crowd. "I guess he's doing pretty well now."
Fast start
Jamaican Usain Bolt (right) blasts past the United States' Shawn Crawford on the curve during the men's 200m race at the Athletissima athletics meeting in the Stade Olympique in Lausanne, Switzerland, yesterday. Bolt won in 19.63 seconds.
"Usain has always had a lot of respect for me," Powell said. "So, if I go out there and I run fast, it's not any surprise. It's a bit late. But I'm very happy after all that I've been through this year."
Powell got a fast start and was quickly clear of a field that included six Olympic 100 finalists.
Running hard to the line, he looked intently at the clock as he left Olympic bronze medallist Walter Dix trailing in second in 9.92. Nesta Carter of Jamaica ran a personal best of 9.98 for third, while Olympic silver medallist Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago was seventh.
Powell was on the podium receiving his prize and a long, loud ovation from the crowd of 14,000 while Bolt was preparing to run his race.
The 22-year-old Jamaican blew past American Shawn Crawford, the Olympic silver medallist in the lane outside him, on the bend and drew clear before straightening up in his stride for the final 15 metres.
"I'm tired," Bolt explained. "It's been a long season, so I'm just trying to get through the season."
Churandy Martin of the Netherlands Antilles was second in 20.24 and Wallace Spearmon of the United States third in 20.54. The first three crossed the line in the same places as in Beijing where Martin and Spearmon were both disqualified for running out of lane.
Jamaica's sprinting dominance extended to the women.
Olympic 100 champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser, confirmed Beijing form with a winning time of 11.03, three-hundredths ahead of her Jamaica teammate, Kerron Stewart, who had taken silver. Marshevet Hooker of the United States was third in 11.09. Sherone Simpson finished eighth for the second successive meet, in 11.31seconds. Simpson had also trailed home in eighth at Sunday's Gateshead meeting in London.
Olympic gold medallist Melaine Walker took the 400m hurdles in 53.73. well ahead of Poland's Anna Jesien, 54.76, who narrowly beat Britain's Tasha Danvers, 54.79.
Women races
Jamaica's Shelley-Ann Fraser (right) wins the women's 100m race at the Athletissima athletics meeting in the Stade Olympique in Lausanne, Switzerland, yesterday. Jamaica's Kerron Stewart (centre) finishes second ahead of the United States' Marshevet Hooker
Shericka Williams, the Olympic sliver medallist, landed the women's 400m in 50.47 seconds. Tatiana Firova of Russia, 50.71, was second ahead of her countrywoman, Yuliya Gushchina, who clocked 50.85. National 400 champion Rosemarie Whyte finished sixth in 52.02 seconds.
Delloreen Ennis-London, fifth in the 100 hurdles at Beijing, overturned that result with victory in 12.60, three-hundredths ahead of American gold medallist Dawn Harper.
LoLo Jones of the US, who seemed sure to win the Olympic title before falling near the line, was fourth.
Dayron Robles of Cuba had talked of adding a world record in Lausanne to his Olympic gold medal but suffered a surprising defeat in the men's 110 hurdles. David Oliver of the US won in 13.03 as Robles struck two of the final three obstacles, sending the last crashing.
"He's beaten me three times this year. I've beaten him twice," Oliver said. "Always, I was capable of running well. When you come out here and perform, that's the big thing."
Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt was another American winner in the 400, with a time of 43.98. Merritt's teammate in the gold medal-winning 4x400 quartet, Angelo Taylor, the 400 hurdles champion, was second in 44.38.
In the women's javelin, Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic lost out to Beijing silver medallist Mariya Abakumova. The Russian threw 66.09 metres.
Portugal's Naide Gomes failed to reach the Olympic final but took the long jump honours with a leap of 6.77, as Brazil's Maurren Higa Maggi managed only 6.59.
In the men's triple jump, a leap of 17.30 by Brazil's Jadel Gregorio was 40 centimetres better than gold medallist Nelson Evora of Portugal.
