Justin Gatlin of the US came within 0.01 seconds of his world-leading time in the 100m, clocking 9.75 at the Golden Gala on Thursday.
Then Gatlin declared he could approach Usain Bolt’s world record of 9.58 at the world championships in Beijing in August.
“I feel confident running times around 9.70,” Gatlin said. “9.60 should be possible in summer.”
Photo: AFP
With the wind in his favor, Gatlin finished several strides ahead of the rest of the field then flexed his biceps for photographers in the finish area.
Running strong all the way to the finish despite his lead, Gatlin took one tick off the clock from Bolt’s meet record of 9.76 set in 2012.
European indoor champion Jimmy Vicaut crossed second in 9.98, and Gatlin’s compatriot, Mike Rodgers, was third with the same time.
Gatlin clocked 9.74 seconds in the Diamond League opener on May 15 in the sweltering heat of Doha, Qatar. Only four sprinters have ever run faster, including Bolt, who set 9.58 in 2009.
“The key thing to keep winning is to not think about it,” Gatlin said. “I do not think of beating Usain Bolt now, because the championship is not tomorrow. We still have some time.”
Emerging Cuban standout Pedro Pablo Pichardo leaped 17.96 in the triple jump to break Jonathan Edwards’ meet record of 17.60 set in 1998. Pichardo earned the year’s best jump of 18.08 last week.
Renaud Lavillenie won the pole vault at 5.91, but failed in three attempts to clear 6.01. He was far off his world-leading 6.05 in Eugene, Oregon, last weekend.
Two-time European champion Ruth Beitia of Spain beat a stellar field in the high jump at 2.00. Croatian standout Blanka Vlasic finished second at 1.97, and appeared content after three injury-plagued seasons.
Vlasic wiggled a little dance after clearing 1.94 on her third try then unleashed a fist pump when she made 1.97 on her first attempt.
Olympic champion Anna Chicherova settled for sixth at 1.94.
Jeneba Tarmoh of the US won the women’s 200 in 22.77 after Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdrew.
Also, Johnny Dutch of the US won the 400 hurdles in 48.13, edging compatriot and Olympic silver medalist Michael Tinsley by 0.21.
Yomif Kejelcha, 17-year-old world junior champion, of Ethiopia won the men’s 5,000 in 12 minutes, 58.39 seconds, the year’s best time. Mohammed Aman, another Ethiopian, clocked 1 minute, 43.56 seconds in the 800 for another fastest time of the year.
Australian Olympic champion Sally Pearson’s world championships campaign is in doubt after she crashed out of the women’s 100m hurdles with a fractured arm.
Pearson, who won gold at the London Olympics in 2012, had gone halfway through the race before touching a hurdle and crashing to the ground where she was left clutching her hand and wrist, and in apparent pain.
A statement by Athletics Australia later said Pearson had “suffered a dislocation and a complex fracture of both the ulna and the radius in her left arm” and is to “undergo surgery” immediately.
It is not yet known if the injury has ended Pearson’s hopes of competing at the world athletics championships in Beijing in August.
“She is in the hands of a very competent orthopedic surgeon in Rome and is understandably devastated by the injury and in a great deal of pain,” the statement added.
“It is, however, too early to tell what impact the injury will have on the remainder of her season and her hopes of competing for Australia at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing in August,” the statement said. “It is anticipated that Pearson will return home to Australia once she has recovered from the surgery.”
Sharika Nelvis of the US took the win in a personal best of 12.52 seconds to top the Diamond Race with compatriot Dawn Harper-Nelson, a silver medalist at the London Games, second in a season’s best of 12.59 seconds.
Britain’s Tiffany Porter held on for third place under pressure from Belarusian Alina Talay.
US world champion Brianna Rollins, who won in Rome last year to end Harper-Nelson’s four-year domination at the meet, failed to finish having also crashed out.
Her compatriot Jasmin Stowers, who set a world leading time of 12.35 seconds in Doha last month, finished in 25.21 seconds.
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