Asafa Powell ... That's how you run a world record. - FILE
GATESHEAD, England (AP):
ASAFA POWELL ran 9.77 seconds at the British Grand Prix yesterday to equal the 100-metre world record he shares with Justin Gatlin.
The Jamaican sprinter originally ran 9.77 in June 2005 in Athens, Greece. Gatlin tied Powell's record in Qatar on May 12 after his initial mark of 9.76 was changed five days later because of a timing mistake.
'I CAN RUN AS FAST AS I WANT'
"That's how you run a world record," Powell said. "As I said, I can run as fast as I want, when I want. I told them I would do my best here and I didn't let them down.
"My coach is not all that happy because in the end I didn't do what he wanted me to do - but I can work on that. I came out and proved I can run 9.77 seconds again."
Gatlin withdrew from the Gateshead meet on June 4 after his agent, Renaldo Nehemiah, said there was never a contract for the Olympic champion to run against Powell.
The co-world record-holders will race in the 100 metres at the London Grand Prix on July 28.
"I don't know what (the new record) is going to be, but it's going to be a lot faster than that," Powell said. "This year I'm feeling a lot stronger, and that means I'm faster, so there's no doubting it."
Powell earned a 27,000-pounds sterling (US$50,000) bonus for his run in front of 8,500 people.
Michael Frater of Jamaica finished second in 10.06, while Dwain Chambers of Britain, in his first race since his two-year ban for the drug THG ended last November, finished third in 10.07.
Meanwhile, stadium records fell in the women's 100, 200 and 800, as well as the men's shot put.
Torri Edwards ran a season-best 11.06 in the 100, breaking Katrin Krabbe's 1989 time by 0.08.
FINISHED SECOND
Edwards also finished second in the 200 to fellow American runner Sanya Richards, whose new stadium mark of 22.25 topped the time of 22.47 set by Beverley McDonald in 1999.
Jamaica's 200m Olympic champion Veronica Campbell pulled a muscle in that race and did not finish.
Janeth Jepkosgei of Kenya set a new stadium record in the 800 in 1:57.22 seconds, breaking Mary Slaney's time of 1:57.60 in 1983.
American shot-putter Christian Cantwell's final throw of 22.45 metres beat the old record of 21.72 set by Ulf Timmerman of Germany in 1989.
100 Metre Record Progression
The progression of the men's 100-metre world record with time, holder, country and date:
10.6: Donald Lippincott, United States, July 6, 1912.
10.4: Charles Paddock, United States, April 23, 1921.
10.3: Percy Williams, Canada, Aug. 9, 1930.
10.2: Jesse Owens, United States, June 20, 1936.
10.1: Willie Williams, United States, Aug. 3, 1956.
10.0: Armin Hary, West Germany, June 21, 1960.
9.99: Jim Hines, United States, June 20, 1968.
9.95: (electronic), Hines, Oct. 14, 1968.
9.93: Calvin Smith, United States, July 3, 1983.
9.92: Carl Lewis, United States, Sept. 24, 1988.
9.90: Leroy Burrell, United States, June 14, 1991.
9.86: Carl Lewis, United States, August 25, 1991.
9.85: Leroy Burrell, United States, July 6, 1994.
9.84: Donovan Bailey, Canada, July 27, 1996.
9.79: Maurice Greene, United States, June 16, 1999.
9.77: Asafa Powell, Jamaica, June 14, 2005.
9.77: Justin Gatlin, United States, May 12, 2006.
9.77: Asafa Powell, Jamaica, June 11, 2006.
