Jamaicans sweep IAAF grand prix

Wednesday, July 08, 2009, ZURICH: Jamaican athletics Asafa Powell and Shelly Ann Fraser won their respective 100m races, and Golden League Jackpot contender Kerron Stewart impressed in the 200m, all against strong headwinds in IAAF grand prix.

Powell took his second consecutive win at the Stade Olympice de la Pontaise, repeating the same time as in Oslo last Friday with another 10.07 into a strong headwind (-1.8 m/s) with a solid margin over compatriot Steve Mullings (10.28), showing that his form is improving compared to race in Oslo where it took a photo finish to separate him from Daniel Bailey. Powell is returning to his best after his spring ankle injury and will be ready to clash against Tyson Gay in Rome on Friday. Third place went to this year’s US champion Michael Rodgers (10.30).

In difficult conditions and running into a headwind (-0.9 m/s), the Jamaican “Thunder” Bolt, the triple Olympic champion and World record holder, broke the Athletissima meeting record he shared with Xavier Carter at 19.63 but in totally different conditions.

Last year Bolt eased up in the final meters in his first post-Olympic race. This year the Jamaican tested his form running strongly through the finish in his first and only European 200m race before next month’s World Championships in Berlin. Bolt left his rivals well behind showing that in better conditions he is able to threaten his own world record of 19.30 set in Beijing. The young Jamaican sprint legend missed the 19.58 world season’s best set by American Tyson Gay in New York by just 0.01 seconds. It was the second best performance by Bolt only behind his sensational World record.

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US troops in Iraq head to Afghanistan

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