Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
( L - R ) Asafa Powell and Veronica Campbell
Joint world 100-metre record holder Asafa Powell and Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell have been elevated to the top of the world's 100m sprint events ranking.
According to track and field's world governing body the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF), Commonwealth 100m champion Powell has risen to the top of the men's 100m Event Ranking after posting times of 9.86 (1,436 points) and 9.91 (1,421 points) by winning in Stockholm, then three days later in London.
Powell took over the top position from American Olympic and World champion Justin Gatlin, who had not run in weeks.
Gatlin drops to second
Gatlin, who last Saturday announced that he tested positive for testosterone or its precursors, dropped to second (1,426 points) in the ranking, five points behind Powell's 1,431.
Powell's performances in Stockholm and London also helped move him five places up the Men's Overall Ranking into third with 1,431 points. He is listed behind Gatlin, who faces a life ban from the sport (1,453), and Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia (1,449).
Jamaica's Dwight Thomas, Gatlin's training partner at Sprint Capitol, also dropped one place to number four with 1,340 points, while World Championships silver medallist Michael Frater moved up one place to seventh with 1,316 points.
Meanwhile, despite being missing in action since pulling up in Gateshead, on June 11, Campbell surged ahead of France's Christine Arron to hold the top spot among female 100m sprinters.
Both athletes have dropped points, but Campbell (1,368) climbed two places to the top, while Arron dropped two places to third with 1,364. World champion Lauryn Williams remained at number two with 1,365 points.
Simpson one place up
Sherone Simpson moved one place up to fifth with 1,342 points, while Sheri-Ann Brooks (1,232), the Commonwealth champion, moved one place up to 16th.
Olympic relay gold medallist Aleen Bailey (1,193) remained at 27th, while Kerron Stewart, the third fastest Jamaican this season, moved one place up to 35th with 1,182 points.
Both the men's and women's 200m Event Rankings saw a lot of movement too, in the last week. On the women's side, Rachelle Boone-Smith moved up two places to third after finishing sixth in Stockholm in 22.85 (1,265 points), while Simpson, who won the event in Stockholm with 22.00 (1,402 points), is back in the Event Ranking at sixth place.
American Allyson Felix (1,366) and Campbell (1,320) remained in first and second spots respectively. Brooks (1,233) dropped one place to ninth, while 11th-place Peta-Gaye Dowdie (1,205) dropped out of the top 10.
On the men's side, the top three, which include World Junior 200m record holder Usain Bolt (1,297), leader Tyson Gay of the United States (1,382) and compatriot Wallace Spearmon (1,371), maintained their places. But Xavier Carter and LaShawn Merritt made the biggest steps.
Carter moved up from ninth to fourth after placing second in London, with yet another sub-20-second time of 19.98 (1,375 points), while Merritt, who was second in Stockholm with 20.25 (1,339 points), moved up six places to ninth.
Only Jamaican in 400m top 10
Michael Blackwood (1,310) at ninth is the only Jamaican listed in the top 10 of men's 400m. Jermaine Gonzales (1,278) remained at number 11.
National champion Novlene Williams jumped four places to third with 1,317 points in the women's 400m behind Jamaican-born Sanya Richards of United States (1,412) and Olympic and world champion Tonique Williams-Darling of The Bahamas (1,375). Shericka Williams (1,295) is 10th on the list while two-time World Championships silver medallist Lorain Fenton moved two places to 16th with 1244.
Brigitte Foster-Hylton (1,369) and Delloreen Ennis-London (1349) are second and third respectively in the women's 100m hurdles behind Michelle Perry of United States (1,404), while Maurice Wignall (1,340) listed at sixth in the men's sprint hurdles.
Kemel Thompson (1,326) and Danny McFarlane (1,266) are fifth and 11th respectively in the men's 400m hurdles and Trecia Smith (1,354) still trails Russian Tatyana Lebedeva (1,378) in the women's triple jump.
Kenia Sinclair (1,306) moved up two places to fifth in the women's 800m, while national champion Dorian Scott jumped three places up to second with 1,183 points in the men's shot put.
