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Powell continues torrid streak in 100
By Stephen Wilson, AP Sports Writer
Saturday, July 29, 2006 | No comments posted.
LONDON - Asafa Powell extended his unbeaten streak to 18 races, winning the 100 meters in 9.91 seconds Friday at the London Grand Prix meet at Crystal Palace.
Another Jamaican, Sherone Simpson, beat Marion Jones in the women's 100 for the second time this month. And, in the night's upset, Xavier “X-Man” Carter was beaten in the men's 200 by Tyson Gay.
After a false start and running into a slight headwind, Powell - the co-world record holder with Justin Gatlin - burst out of the blocks in the fourth lane, powered past Leonard Scott at the midway point and surged to another convincing victory.
Scott was second in 10.01, with Shawn Crawford third in 10.04.
Powell fell short of Gatlin's stadium record of 9.89 and the world record of 9.77 that both men share. Still, it was Powell's ninth straight sub-10-second race of the year.
“It's great to run under 10 seconds again,” Powell said. “I didn't feel in the mood for the record because the wind kept changing and changing.”
“There's a bit of pressure on me for the moment, it's been a long season,” he said. “It's hard to run your best at every event. I've run nine races this season under 10 seconds, and that's tough on your legs.”
Powell's winning streak goes back to last year's London meet, where he pulled up with a groin injury in the final won by Gatlin.
This meet had been lined up as the first showdown since then between the two, but the American Olympic and world champion pulled out two weeks ago with a leg injury.
Gatlin tied Powell's world record in Doha, Qatar, on May 12, and Powell equaled it again on June 11 in Gateshead, England. It's uncertain whether the two will meet this year.
Simpson, the world leader this season in the women's 100, got off to a quick start and held off Jones on her right shoulder to win in 11 seconds flat - far off her season's best of 10.82.
Jones was second in 11.05, with 2003 world champion Torri Edwards third in 11.26. World 200 champion Allyson Felix was sixth in 11.33.
“It was a difficult headwind,” Jones said. “Sherone's gotten the best of me in the past two races, but I'm confident that what I'm doing in training is working, and when it comes down to the big races I'll be ready.”
It was Jones' first race in Britain since 2004. The five-time Olympic medalist returned to Europe in May after an 11-month layoff filled with injuries and doping allegations.
“For some reason I wasn't invited in the past few years, but if you took a vote from this crowd, I think they would want me to be here,” Jones said. “I felt an incredible amount of support here.”
Simpson said she takes extra pride from beating Jones.
“Everybody knows Marion's track record and her medals, and just to race against her is a bit of an honor,” she said.
Two weeks ago, the 30-year-old Jones ran her fastest 100 in four years - 10.91 - at the Golden Gala meet in Rome. There, too, she finished second behind the 21-year-old Simpson, who clocked 10.87.
The London meet offered perfect conditions for sprinting, with the temperature reaching 86.
In the 200, Gay powered into the lead around the curve and held on to win in 19.84 - the fastest time ever in Britain. Carter was second in 19.98. Another American, Wallace Spearmon, took third in 20.11.
It was Carter's first 200 since running the second-fastest time in history, 19.63, in Lausanne, Switzerland, on July 11. Only Michael Johnson has run faster, clocking 19.32 at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
“Good luck to Xavier - but I am still around,” Gay said.
The 20-year-old Carter became the first athlete since Jesse Owens in 1935 and '36 to win four U.S. college titles at one championship - the 100, 400 and two relays.
“I didn't run my race, I was too relaxed,” Carter said.
Olympic and world champion Jeremy Wariner continued his domination of the men's 400, slowing down in the final meters but still cracking the 44-second barrier again in 43.99.
Bernard Lagat sprinted past world-record holder Kenenisa Bekele in the final 50 meters to win the men's 5,000 in a personal best of 12:59.22.
Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva won the women's pole vault in a season-best 16 feet, 11/4 inches, but failed in three attempts to raise her world record to 16-51/2.
Swedish world champion Kajsa Bergqvist won the women's high jump at 6-83/4, the best ever in Britain, and then tried to break Stefka Kostadinova's 19-year-old world record of 6-101/4. She missed on three attempts at 6-103/4.
---
Associated Press Writer Paul Logothetis contributed to this report.
Another Jamaican, Sherone Simpson, beat Marion Jones in the women's 100 for the second time this month. And, in the night's upset, Xavier “X-Man” Carter was beaten in the men's 200 by Tyson Gay.
After a false start and running into a slight headwind, Powell - the co-world record holder with Justin Gatlin - burst out of the blocks in the fourth lane, powered past Leonard Scott at the midway point and surged to another convincing victory.
Scott was second in 10.01, with Shawn Crawford third in 10.04.
Powell fell short of Gatlin's stadium record of 9.89 and the world record of 9.77 that both men share. Still, it was Powell's ninth straight sub-10-second race of the year.
“It's great to run under 10 seconds again,” Powell said. “I didn't feel in the mood for the record because the wind kept changing and changing.”
“There's a bit of pressure on me for the moment, it's been a long season,” he said. “It's hard to run your best at every event. I've run nine races this season under 10 seconds, and that's tough on your legs.”
Powell's winning streak goes back to last year's London meet, where he pulled up with a groin injury in the final won by Gatlin.
This meet had been lined up as the first showdown since then between the two, but the American Olympic and world champion pulled out two weeks ago with a leg injury.
Gatlin tied Powell's world record in Doha, Qatar, on May 12, and Powell equaled it again on June 11 in Gateshead, England. It's uncertain whether the two will meet this year.
Simpson, the world leader this season in the women's 100, got off to a quick start and held off Jones on her right shoulder to win in 11 seconds flat - far off her season's best of 10.82.
Jones was second in 11.05, with 2003 world champion Torri Edwards third in 11.26. World 200 champion Allyson Felix was sixth in 11.33.
“It was a difficult headwind,” Jones said. “Sherone's gotten the best of me in the past two races, but I'm confident that what I'm doing in training is working, and when it comes down to the big races I'll be ready.”
It was Jones' first race in Britain since 2004. The five-time Olympic medalist returned to Europe in May after an 11-month layoff filled with injuries and doping allegations.
“For some reason I wasn't invited in the past few years, but if you took a vote from this crowd, I think they would want me to be here,” Jones said. “I felt an incredible amount of support here.”
Simpson said she takes extra pride from beating Jones.
“Everybody knows Marion's track record and her medals, and just to race against her is a bit of an honor,” she said.
Two weeks ago, the 30-year-old Jones ran her fastest 100 in four years - 10.91 - at the Golden Gala meet in Rome. There, too, she finished second behind the 21-year-old Simpson, who clocked 10.87.
The London meet offered perfect conditions for sprinting, with the temperature reaching 86.
In the 200, Gay powered into the lead around the curve and held on to win in 19.84 - the fastest time ever in Britain. Carter was second in 19.98. Another American, Wallace Spearmon, took third in 20.11.
It was Carter's first 200 since running the second-fastest time in history, 19.63, in Lausanne, Switzerland, on July 11. Only Michael Johnson has run faster, clocking 19.32 at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
“Good luck to Xavier - but I am still around,” Gay said.
The 20-year-old Carter became the first athlete since Jesse Owens in 1935 and '36 to win four U.S. college titles at one championship - the 100, 400 and two relays.
“I didn't run my race, I was too relaxed,” Carter said.
Olympic and world champion Jeremy Wariner continued his domination of the men's 400, slowing down in the final meters but still cracking the 44-second barrier again in 43.99.
Bernard Lagat sprinted past world-record holder Kenenisa Bekele in the final 50 meters to win the men's 5,000 in a personal best of 12:59.22.
Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva won the women's pole vault in a season-best 16 feet, 11/4 inches, but failed in three attempts to raise her world record to 16-51/2.
Swedish world champion Kajsa Bergqvist won the women's high jump at 6-83/4, the best ever in Britain, and then tried to break Stefka Kostadinova's 19-year-old world record of 6-101/4. She missed on three attempts at 6-103/4.
---
Associated Press Writer Paul Logothetis contributed to this report.
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