Asafa Powell of Jamaica celebrates winning the men's 100m at the IAAF Golden League athletics meet in Oslo, Norway, yesterday. - Reuters

OSLO, Norway (CMC):

Jamaica's 100-metre world record holder Asafa Powell ran the second-fastest time in the world this year in winning at the ExxonMobil Bislett Games, the opening event of the IAAF Golden League Series yesterday.

On an evening that Ethiopia's Meseret Defar smashed the women's 5,000-metre world record, Powell dominated the men's short sprint for a victory in 9.94 seconds.

Defar broke her own 5000-metre world record, clocking 14 minutes 16.63 seconds, easily topping Kenya's Vivian Cheruyiot, who posted a national record 14.22.51. Defar's previous record of 14:24.53 was set in New York a year ago.

"I didn't think I would break the record by such a big margin but I was aiming for under 14:20," Defar told reporters.

SOLID Victory

Powell, who had clocked 9.97 seconds in his season opener in Belgrade two weeks ago, was solid in his victory, chased by Portugal's Francis Obikwelu (10.06).

"It was just as I wanted. The start was good and that was important. I'm just where I was last year - sub-10 is always good," said Powell, beginning his pursuit of the US$1 million jackpot the series offers. "The start of the (IAAF Golden League) series was good for me but I still have five more races to run."

Trinidad and Tobago's Marc Burns ran a season's best 10.26 seconds for sixth and his teammate Darrel Brown was seventh in 10.28.

Powell's winning time was 0.01 seconds slower than Walter Dix's world-leading 9.93 he achieved at last weekend's NCAA Championship in Sacramento. Britain's Marlon Devonish contested the B Race and won in a season's best 10.20 seconds, with Jamaican Nesta Carter the runner-up in 10.28. Jamaican Ainsley Waugh was fifth in the men's 200 metres in a wind-aided 20.62 seconds, behind Swedish winner Johan Wissman (20.32).

Jamaican Korene Hinds ran a personal best and national record 9:28.86 for third in the women's 3,000-metre steeplechase that Kenya's Eunice Chepkorir won in a national record 9:19.44. Jamaican Mardrea Hyman placed seventh in 9:37.50.

There was a thrilling finish to the women's 100 metres, with American Stephanie Durst repelling the challenge of a pair of Caribbean sprint stars.

Durst clocked 11.22 seconds, to edge Jamaica's Commonwealth Games champion Sheri-Ann Brooks (11.23), with Cydonie Mothersill, of the Cayman Islands, third in 11.25 seconds. Bahamian Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie was a close-up fifth in 11.27.

Jamaican Sherone Simpson, the world's fastest woman last year in both the 100 (10.82 seconds) and 200 metres (22.00), had a grim first 100-metre run of the season. Bothered by a hip flexor injury, she finished eighth in 11.64 seconds.

The U.S. Virgin Islands' Laverne Jones captured the women's B race in a season's best 11.32 seconds. American Sanya Richards, in only her second run this season, clocked 50.26 seconds to capture the women's 400 metres with little threat from Senegal's 2001 World Champion Amy Mbacke Thiam (51.22), with Jamaican Shericka Williams third in 51.32 seconds. Bahamian Christine Amertil was fifth in 52.02 seconds.

The women's 100-metre hurdles - that had Jamaican World Championship medallists Brigitte Foster-Hylton and Delloreen Ennis-London on the entry list - went to American Michelle Perry in 12.70 seconds, topping Sweden's Susan Kallur (12.76).

Foster-Hylton withdrew from the event and Ennis-London clocked a season's best 12.78 seconds for third.