American Justin Gatlin snatched the track record held by sprint rival Usain Bolt as he cruised to victory in the men’s 100 metres at the Rome Diamond League meet on Thursday.
Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic champion who served a four-year doping ban in 2006-2010 for using testosterone, stopped the clock at 9.75sec to match the seventh-fastest time in history at the distance.
It was just one hundredth faster than the time of 9.76 set by Bolt, in Gatlin’s absence, on his way to victory in the Italian capital in 2012.
Bolt, the Olympic champion and world record holder in 9.58, has made only an appearance in Europe this season, winning a 200m in the Czech Republic last month.
But with both sprinters avoiding each other so far in the build-up to the world athletics championships in Beijing in August, it is only a matter of time before they duel.
Gatlin admitted if he had to switch roles with Bolt right now, he would be “enthused” by the performances he is setting.
“If the roles were switched... I’d be more enthused by such a great competitor coming up and making me want to be sharper again,” he said.
It is the second time Gatlin has run under 9.80 in just over a week, after storming his way to a personal best of 9.74 in Doha last week.
France’s Jimmy Vicaut was second in a season’s best of 9.98, a time matched by American Michael Rodgers who tied for second place.
The rest of the field, including Kim Collins of Saint Kitts and Nevis, finished outside the 10-sec mark.
The results :
Men : 100 m (wind 0.9m/s): 1. Justin Gatlin (USA) 9.75, 2. Jimmy Vicaut (Fra) 9.98, 3. Mike Rodgers (USA) 9.98. 200m (0.8) : 1. Lykourgos-Stefanos-Tsakonas (Gre) 20.09, 2. Christophe Lemaitre (Fra) 20.28, 3. Harry Adams (USA) 20.32. 800m : 1. Mohammed Aman (Eth) 1:43.56, 2. Nijel Amos (Bot) 1:43.80, 3. Job Kinyor (Ken) 1:43.92. 5000m : 1. Yomif Kejelcha (Eth) 12:58.39, 2. Paul Kipngetich Tanui (Ken) 12:58.69, 3. Hagos Gebrhiwet (Eth) 12:58.69. 110m hurdles (0.7) : 1. Sergey Shubenkov (Rus) 13.23, 2. Garfield Darien (Fra) 13.23, 3. Jeff Porter (USA) 13.32. 400m hurdles : 1. Johnny Dutch (USA) 48.13, 2. Michael Tinsley (USA) 48.34, 3. Javier Culson (Pur) 48.65. Triple jump : 1. Pedro Pablo Pichardo (Cub) 17.96m, 2. Alexis Copello (Cub) 17.15, 3. Ernesto Reve (Cub) 16.89. Pole vault : 1. Renaud Lavillenie (Fra) 5.91m, 2. Thiago Braz da Silva (Bra) 5.86, 3. Aleksandr Gripich (Rus) 5.71. Shot put : 1. David Storl (Ger) 21.46m, 2. Jordan Clarke (USA) 21.28, 3. Tomas Stanek (CZE) 20.64. Javelin : 1. Vitezslav Vesely (Cze) 88.14m, 2. Julius Yego (Ken) 87.71, 3. Keshorn Walcott (Tri) 86.20.
Women : 200m (-0.1 m/s): 1. Jeneba Tarmoh (USA) 22.77, 2. Kerron Stewart (Jam) 22.88, 3. Simone Facey (Jam) 22.91. 400m : 1. Francena McCorory (USA) 50.36, 2. Stephenie Ann McPherson (Jam) 50.53, 3. Natasha Hastings (USA) 50.67. 1500m : 1. Sifan Hassan (Ned) 3:58.68, 2. Jennifer Simpson (USA) 3:59.31, 3. Dawit Seyaum (Eth) 3:59.76. 100m hurdles (1.0) : 1. Sharika Nelvis (USA) 12.52, 2. Dawn Harper (USA) 12.59, 3. Tiffany Porter (Gbr) 12.69. 400m hurdles : 1. Georganne Moline (USA) 54.47, 2. Janieve Russell (Jam) 54.83, 3. Eilidh Child (Gbr) 54.84. 3000m steeplechase : 1. Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi (Ken) 9:15.08, 2. Virginia Nyambura (Ken) 9:15.75, 3. Hiwot Ayalew (Eth) 9:16.87. High jump : 1. Ruth Beitia (Esp) 2.00m, 2. Blanka Vlasic (Cro) 1.97, 3. Kamila Licwinko (Pol) 1.97. Long jump : 1. Darya Klishina (Rus) 6.89 m, 2. Shara Proctor (Gbr) 6.85, 3. Sostene Moguenara-Taroum (Ger) 6.80. Discus : 1. Sandra Perkovic (Cro) 67.92m, 2. Dani Samuels (Aus) 65.47, 3. Yaime Perez (Cub) 65.30.
