By Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor 
U.S. sprinter Jon Drummond, centre, reacts as Jamaica's Asafa Powell, right, watched by Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago, after he was disqualified for two false starts in the quarter-final of the men's 100 metres at the 9th World Athletics Championships in the Stade de France at Saint-Denis near Paris yesterday. - Reuters
PARIS, France:
NATIONAL SPRINT champion Asafa Powell was disqualified from the men's 100 metres in a second round heat that featured a bizarre incident, in which American Jon Drummond staged a sit-in protest, remaining in his lane flat on his back, and daring anyone to move him, at the ninth IAAF World Athletics Championships in Paris last night.
Slow motion replays showed that both Powell and Drummond reacted before the starter's gun after the entire heat 2 field was shown the caution card following an earlier false start.
An obviously bewildered Drummond and Powell attempted to compete under protest but following a long delay of more than 15 minutes during which track officials consulted with each other, Drummond made a tearful exit from the track to the warm-up area where he was consoled by his coach John Smith.
Powell attempted to remain in the race but track officials dismissed him to the dressing rooms.
The race which was taken off the track and then completed after the running of the fourth heat was eventually won by Trinidad and Tobago's Ato Bolden in 10.09.
THOMAS THROUGH
Jamaica's Dwight Thomas was fourth but advanced as one of the fastest losers.
Michael Frater, a gold medal winner at the recent Pan American Games, failed to advance from heat 3 won in a world junior record 10.01 by World Junior champion, Trinidad and Tobago's Darrell Brown. Frater was sixth in 10.25.
Aleen Bailey reached her first major 100 metres final but found the going tough at the ninth IAAF World Athletics Championships in Paris last night.
The NCAA sprint double winner, however, had the satisfaction of running a personal best 11.07 seconds for seventh behind gold medallist Kelli White of the United States, who won in a 2003 world leading 10.85.
White whose mother, Debbie Byfield, represented Jamaica in the sprints at the 1976 Olympics in Canada, literally blew away the field to finish well ahead of compatriot Torri Edwards, 10.93, and defending champion Zhanna Block, whose season best 10.99 was only good enough for bronze.
HAPPY TO REACH FINAL
Bailey was happy with reaching the final here.
"I got seventh and a personal best. That was more than I expected as I went into the final with the eighth best time."
The former Vere Technical High inter-secondary star is now looking forward to the 200 metres heats which begin tomorrow.
"Now I just have to go home and rest and prepare. I am better at the 200 metres. It's not like the 100m. In the longer event you are able to catch people."
Commonwealth 400 metres champion Michael Blackwood also qualified for a track final. The three semi-final heats were all torrid affairs and with Blackwood and Jamaica's other semi-final qualifier, Brandon Simpson, both drawn in the third of three heats there was always a big chance that one of the two would not survive.
Blackwood, 44.98, led for most of the way but was caught close home by French hope Marc Raquil, 44.88.
Simpson faded in the last 30 metres to finish fifth in 45.18.
He complained of a knee injury after the event.
"I have been struggling with a knee injury and all during the race and I really could not relax the way I wanted to," a disappointed Simpson said.
Blackwood will run out of lane two in tomorrow's final.
Hot favourite Tyree Washington of the United States goes in with the fastest time after winning semi-final heat 2 in 44.60. The next best time was returned by his compatriot Jerome Young who clocked 44.70 to top semi-final one ahead of the third American Calvin Harrison, who was second in 44.71.
All three Jamaican women will run today's 400m semi-finals.
Lorraine Fenton won heat four in the second best time of 50.90. She had to dig deep in the final straight but seemed committed to get past the line first and pipped Russia's Swetlana Pospelova, 51.00.
Sandie Richards who has been running at World Championships level since 1987 is coming back after a hamstring injury and looked well below her best in grabbing third in heat 2 in 51.86.
STILL STRUGGLING
"I am still struggling a bit as I am just coming off an injury. Hopefully in the semi-finals I will be better," Richards said.
Ronetta Smith was fourth in heat five and advanced as one of the fastest losers. Race favourite Ana Guevara of Mexico won heat one in 51.14 pulling up while defending champion Amy Mbaoke Thiam returned the fastest time, 50.86, in winning heat 5 ahead of Jamaica-born American Sanya Richards, 51.00.
Allison Beckford, the lone Jamaican, also advanced to the semis of the 400m hurdles, qualifying as one of the fastest losers after placing fourth in the last of four heats.
Triple jumper Suzette Lee failed to advance after a best of 13.43m in qualifying group A.
