Jamaica's Veronica Campbell (centre) sprints to the finish line to win the women's 100 metres in 10.89 seconds with compatriot Sherone Simpson in seventh and Muna Lee (left) of the United States in third at the Sheffield Grand Prix meet yesterday. REUTERS
SHEFFIELD, England (AP):
JAMAICA'S OLYMPIC 200 metres and sprint relay gold medallist Veronica Campbell extended her fantastic form when she blazed to a 100-metre victory in 10.89 seconds at the British Grand Prix yesterday.
Lanky quarter-miler Michael Blackwood also posted a Jamaican victory in the 400m, while sprint hurdler Maurice Wignall went close with a second-place finish in his pet event.
Campbell, who won the women's event at Friday's Golden League meeting in Zurich in a world-leading 10.85 seconds, which is also her personal best, beat Olympic champion Yuliya Nesterenko, who ran 11.09 for second. American Muna Lee was third in 11.22.
Two other Jamaican runners, World Championships relay silver medallists Aleen Bailey and Sherone Simpson, finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in the same time, 11.34 seconds.
BETTER RESULT
"I'm feeling pretty good right now, I just wish I felt this good in the World Championships I would have produced a better result," Campbell said.
The Jamaican finished behind Lauryn Williams in Helsinki, who raced in the 200 yesterday.
However, Williams couldn't match the pace of compatriot Allyson Felix at the Don Valley Stadium, where world champion Justin Gatlin also won the men's 200-metre race.
Felix comfortably won her race in 22.54 seconds, but Gatlin had to make up ground on Tyson Gay to edge his American teammate at the line in 20.04 seconds.
Williams was second in 22.91, with Cydonie Mothersill third in 23.16.
Jamaica's Bailey, who withdrew from the individual 200m in Helsinki, placed seventh in 23.29.
"I'm really pleased with the way I am dominating the race at the moment," Felix said. "I put a lot of work in and it's great to see the results."
Gatlin, who also won the 100m in Helsinki, ran the 200m to prove a point. Gay finished in 20.09, with Stephane Buckland of Mauritius third in 20.39.
NO FLUKE
"I'm very tired after all the travelling in Europe," said Gatlin, who won the 100 in Zurich on Friday. "I wanted to put on one last 200 metres to show people it wasn't just a one-off."
Thirteen individual champions from the recent worlds in Helsinki, Finland, competed yesterday in breezy sunshine.
Blackwood took the men's one-lap sprint in 45.29 seconds ahead of Brotin Tim Banjamin. Grenada's Alleyne Francique was third in 45.49 seconds, while another Jamaican World Championships bronze medal relay winner, Sanjay Ayre, finished fifth in 45.86 seconds.
In the men's 110m hurdles won by American Dominique Arnold in 13.26, Wignall came home second in 13.31. France's world champion Ladji Doncoure was disqualified, while American ace Allen Johnson was fourth in 13.50 seconds.
Kim Collins, the 2003 world champion in the 100m, clocked 10.01 seconds for victory, beating Leonard Scott in 10.10.
CLOSE RACE
Jamaica's Michael Frater went across the finish at almost the same time in the close race to end third. His compatriot Ainsley Waugh was eighth in 10.31 seconds.
"Surprisingly the weather was excellent," said Collins, who is from St. Kitts and Nevis. "I am particularly happy because I haven't been winning much this year."
Former Olympic and world champion Maurice Greene was disqualified for a false start. Greene sat on his No. 5 block with his head in his hands as Frater, who was the first to false- start, finished third in 10.11.
"I'm obviously very disappointed as I felt very good coming into the race," said Greene, who didn't qualify for an individual event at the Worlds and missed several track meets because of a hamstring injury.
In the men's long jump, Jamaican James Beckford placed fourth after a best leap of 8.03 metres. The event was won by the United States' Miguel Pate (8.45m), who finished ahead of world champion Dwight Phillips (8.38m).
Tirunesh Dibaba won the 5,000m in 14:51.77, beating her sister Ejagayou Dibaba by 1.71 seconds. In Helsinki, Dibaba made history by becoming the first woman to complete a 5,000m-10,000m sweep.
"I tried to chase the world record today but just before 3,000 metres, I got a cramp on the right side of my stomach which stopped me from running as fast as I wanted to," Dibaba said.
The world record is 14:24.68.
Kelly Holmes, who won the 800m and 1,500m at the Athens Olympics, made her final track appearance in Britain, but could only finish eighth in the 800m.
Holmes hadn't raced since winning the 1,500m at an indoor meet in Glasgow, Scotland, in January because of a lingering Achilles injury.
Britain's Jenny Meadows won in 2:03.43, ending Holmes' unbeaten streak, which began September 14, 2003.
"I'm pretty emotional," Holmes said. "Athletics has been my life, my passion."
Holmes has yet to announce her retirement and could compete in the Commonwealth Games next year in Melbourne, Australia.
Other winners included Sanya Richards in the 400m; Kasja Bergqvist in the women's high jump; Brad Walker in the men's pole vault; Virgilijus Alekna in the men's discus; and Cuba's Alexander Martinez in the triple jump.
Britain's Michael East chased down Laban Rotich of Kenya to win the Emsley Carr mile in 3:52.50.
The race began in London in 1953 to encourage the first sub-four-minute mile.
Roger Bannister achieved the feat at Oxford University a year later.
