Joint 100m world record holder Asafa Powell cruised to victory at the London Grand Prix on Friday but missed out on reclaiming the world mark for himself.
The Jamaican eased to victory in 9.91 seconds, ahead of the US' Leonard Scott (10.01) and Shawn Crawford (10.04) but was below the world record of 9.77 seconds he shares with the absent Justin Gatlin.
"Once I go under 10 seconds I'm quite alright," said Powell after dominating the Crystal Palace race. "I didn't really feel the [world record] mood tonight because the wind was changing."
PHOTO: AFP
Meanwhile, Marion Jones believes she can be a force at the 2008 Beijing Olympics despite her career being overshadowed by doping allegations.
The former triple Olympic gold medalist was second in the 100m in a time of 11.02 seconds on Friday and insisted that the Games in China is a realistic target even though she will be 32 by that time.
"It's been a tough time for me but I have faith in God and the people who support me. I'm just trying to focus on the world championships next year and the Olympics in 2008," said the US sprinter.
PHOTO: AP
Jones has never been convicted of a doping offence, but her former husband Tim Montgomery was banished, and his world 100m record run erased, after evidence linking him with the BALCO steroid scandal.
"I'm a competitor and I like to win," said Jones after running second to Jamaica's Sherone Simpson. "I feel good and I'm getting back into it race by race. I have a lot of supporters around the world and people know the truth. People will say what they want to say, they have their motives."
The US' Tyson Gay upset 200m sensation and compatriot Xavier Carter with victory in 19.84 seconds.
Carter clocked 19.63 seconds -- the second-fastest 200m of all time -- in Lausanne earlier this month but could not repeat that form on Friday.
Although there were no world records, there were plenty of season world bests.
Swedish high jumpers Stefan Holm (2.34m) and Kajsa Bergqvist (2.05m) and polevault world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia (4.91m) were on top form as was the US' Sanya Richards in the 400m who clocked 49.05 seconds.
Compatriot Jeremy Wariner went under 44 seconds for the fourth time in his career winning the 400m in 43.99 seconds.
Golden girl Isinbayeva tried and failed to reach 5.02m, a centimeter above her world record mark of 5.01m, but at least she stopped the rot which saw her defeated by Poland's Monika Pyrek three days ago in Stockholm.
It was also a welcome morale booster ahead of the European Championships in Gothenburg which start on Aug. 7.
Along with Holm, Swedish hopes of European glory on home soil were also boosted by Christian Olsson who was an easy winner of the triple jump with 17.42m.
The biggest shock of the evening came in the men's 5000m where Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele was beaten again, this time by the US' Bernard Lagat who came home in 12:59.22.
Bekele was second in 13:00.04.
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
Arne Slot has denied that Darwin Nunez was dropped from Liverpool’s win against West Ham because of a training-ground row with a member of his coaching staff. The Liverpool head coach on Sunday last week said that Nunez was absent from the 2-1 victory at Anfield, having felt unwell during training the day before, although the striker sat behind the substitutes throughout the game. Speculation has been rife that the Uruguay international, whom Slot criticized for his work rate against Wolves and Aston Villa in February, was left out for disciplinary reasons. Asked on Friday to clarify the situation, Slot said: “He
RSS