BIRMINGHAM, England (CMC):

Dominica's Chris Lloyd was the best Caribbean athlete at the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham on Saturday as Tahesia Harrigan and Aleen Bailey disappointed.

Lloyd posted the second-fastest time in the world so far as he finished second in the 400 metres behind the winner, Canada's Tyler Christopher, in 46.02 seconds.

Grenada's two-time World Indoor champion Alleyne Francique (46.82) was no threat to the field as he continued to battle a flu virus and finished last.

Christopher (45.80) and Lloyd efforts were national records at a meet which witnessed Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia establishing a new world record of 8:04.35 in the men's two-mile event.

In the women's 60 metres, Laverne Jones-Ferrette of the USVI was fourth (7.28 seconds) in a race which saw Harrigan of the British Virgin Islands being disqualified following two false starts.

Harrigan was the third-fastest qualifier with 7.24 seconds in the preliminaries where Jamaican Aleen Bailey with a seasonal best of 7.43 seconds, failed to reach the final.

Williams gets the nod

Angela Williams of the United States was given the nod over Kim Gavaert of Belgium after both athletes were clocked at 7.15 seconds.

In other results, Grenada's national triple jump record holder, Randy Lewis, was fourth with 16.27 metres as Britain's Phillips Idowu won the event with 17.21 metres.

Former World champion Kim Collins of St Kitts and Nevis, the only Caribbean finalist in the men's 60 metres, was seventh in 6.63 seconds, as Jaysuma Saidy Ndure swept to victory in a time of 6.56 seconds.

Ysanne Williams of Jamaica finished sixth in the women's 800 metres with a personal best of 2:05.98 minutes, way behind winner Jenny Meadows of Great Britain who clocked 2:00.74 minutes.

Hazel-Ann Regis of Grenada was fifth in the women's 200 metres in 24.97 seconds as all top three finishers recorded personal bests.