American duo shine in the East
2005-09-19 12:57
Yokohama, Japan - Olympic gold medallist Justin Gatlin and Allyson Felix proved their endurance as a draining seven month athletic season drew to a close by pulling off an American sprint double at the Yokohama meet on Monday.
Gatlin clocked 10.04 seconds to beat Olusoji Fasuba of Nigeria and Christopher Williams of Jamaica who both clocked 10.13 in the men's sprint.
World 200m champion Felix won the women's 100m in 11.05, beating her compatriot Me'Lisa Barber and Julia Chermoshanskaiya of Russia.
"My hamstring was a little bit tight about 20 metres to the finishing line, but it was a good race, I think my performance was good, the competition was great," said Gatlin.
The 23-year-old, 100m and 200m world champion, added: "I'm very pleased with my season this year. I think this season is even better than 2004.
"I feel I established better credit to my name, being more consistent this year, running bigger races, and hopefully next year I can do the same thing, run quality races in fast times on fast tracks."
World champion Dwight Phillips leapt 6.06m to win the long jump and fellow American Bershawn Jackson repeated his Helsinki performance to win the 400m hurdles in 48.24.
China's world silver medallist Liu Xiang, who had equalled the world record of 12.91 seconds to win gold in the Athens Olympics, clocked 13.08 to win the 110m hurdles.
But pole vault world champion Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia failed to clear 4.50 metres for the first time.
"I was so tired. I had a lot of competition, I won the summer and winter world championships, I set new world records, and I tried to do my best today, but I couldn't," said Isinbayeva.
"It was the first time that I failed to clear 4.50m, because I usually start from 4.60 or 4.70. I was too tired, so I started from 4.50."
Tatiana Grigorieva of Australia won the pole vault with a mark of 4.10m.
- AFP