 RIETI, Italy (AP) - Asafa Powell won the 100 meters at the Rieti Grand Prix in 9.82 seconds on Sunday, failing to reprise his world-record effort at the meet last year.
Powell, who set a then-world record of 9.74 on the same track a year ago, clocked 9.77 in his semifinal heat, but that was still well off the world record of 9.69 set by fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt at the Beijing Olympics last month.
Coming off a false start, Powell got off slowly in the final.
"If I got my normal start in the final I would have broken the world record," he said. "I know that I can break the world record."
Powell had a slight tail wind for both of his heats and had training partner Michael Frater running alongside him in the final.
Still, he couldn't produce his best.
"In the heats I got a good start, but I didn't run as hard in the last part of the race as I ran in the final," Powell said, adding that he plans to run at least once more this season in Warsaw, Poland, and possibly also at the season finals in Stuttgart, Germany, next weekend.
Bolt ended his season after beating Powell in Brussels on Friday.
"I'm very tired, especially after running in Belgium," Powell said. "But it was still a good performance."
Frater, who teamed with Powell and Bolt on the Jamaican team that set the 400 relay world record in Beijing, finished second in 9.98.
In the 3,000, Edwin Cheruiyot of Kenya turned in a world best time for 2008 of 7 minutes, 31.83 seconds. In the 1,500, world champion Bernard Lagat, the American who failed to win a medal in Beijing, got a measure of revenge by winning in 3:32.75 — not far off Daniel Komen's leading time this year of 3:31.49.
Miguel Pate of the United States won the long jump with a leap of 26 feet, 11 1/4 inches.
Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia failed to improve her world record in the 5,000, winning in 14:23.46, well off the mark of 14:11.15 she set in June at the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway.
Last month in Beijing, Dibaba became the first woman to sweep the 5,000 and 10,000 golds.
Like in Beijing, Jamaica's sprinting dominance extended to the women's 100 meters and 400 hurdles.
Olympic gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser registered another victory in the 100, clocking 11.06, with joint Beijing silver medalist Kerron Stewart second in 11.11.
Also, Shericka Williams of Jamaica won the 200 in 22.50.
In the 400 hurdles, Melaine Walker followed up her Beijing gold by crossing in 55.01 — significantly slower than her Olympic record 52.64. Olympic bronze medalist Tasha Danvers of Britain was second in 55.25.
Gelete Burka won the women's mile in 4:18.23, pulling away from Bahrain's Maryam Yussuf Jamal in the final 30 yards.
World champion Alfred Kirwa Yego, the bronze medalist in Beijing, won the men's 800 in 1:44.69. Olympic champion Wilfred Bungei crossed second in 1:45.05. |