Asafa Powell was pushed the entire way before winning the 100 meters Friday at the London Grand Prix in 9.94 seconds. The former world record holder from Jamaica got off to good start running into a headwind at Crystal Palace, but most of the field stayed with him until the midway point. Instead of easing across the finish line for his second win this week, however, Powell had to keep pushing because the pack again caught up to make it close at the finish. “The race did not quite go as expected but felt easy,” Powell said. Powell, who has yet to win an Olympic gold medal, is expected to come up against world champion Tyson Gay and record holder Usain Bolt at the Beijing Games. Bolt, Powell's Jamaican teammate, set the 100m record in May, running 9.72 in New York. He decided to skip the 100m in London and will run Sunday in the 200. He has also said he is still undecided about running in both the 100m and 200m in Beijing. Powell beat Bolt in the 100m on Tuesday in Stockholm, running 9.88 to win. Marc Burns of Trinidad and Tobago was second in 9.97 seconds, and Michael Frater of Britain was third in 10.00. Yelena Isinbayeva struggled to get going in the women's pole vault, and then took three attempts at another word record. The Russian, who won the event Friday with a jump of 4.93 meters, had three attempts at 5.04, one centimeter higher than her outdoor world record. The third attempt nearly gave Isinbayeva her 23rd world record, but despite teetering on its perch for a moment, the bar fell to the ground. At her opening height, Isinbayeva needed all three attempts to clear 4.74. Jenn Stuczynski, who finished second at 4.81, took two attempts at a world record after failing to clear 4.93 in her only chance. Anna Rogowska of Poland was third with a jump of 4.65. With the Beijing Games approaching, Jamaican sprinter Sherone Simpson showed she can keep pace by winning the women's 200 in 22.70. Bianca Knight, a 19-year-old American, was second in 22.79, and Debbie Ferguson of the Bahamas was third in 22.84. World champion Allyson Felix of the US was fourth in 23.00. World champion Christine Ohuruogu ran her fastest 400m this season, winning in 50.81. In the men's mile, Shedrack Korir led all the way around the final lap to win in 3:54.68. The Kenyan held off Andrew Baddeley down the final stretch, with the Briton finishing in 3:54.76. Bernard Lagat, the world champion in the 1,500m and 5,000m from the US, was third in 3:55.20 for his first lost in 10 races this season. David Oliver of the US won the 110m hurdles in 13.20. Anwar Moore of the US was second in 13.52 and Stanislav Olijar was third in 13.57. Reese Hoffa won the shot put with a throw of 21.13, and American teammate Adam Nelson was second at 21.07. Tomasz Majewski of Poland was third with a throw of 20.97. Kelly Sotherton of Britain leads the women's four-event challenge with 2,129 points. She won the long jump with a leap of 6.79 meters, and finished fourth in the 100 hurdles in 13.66. Gi-Gi Johnson of the US, who won the hurdles in 13.09, is second with 2,060 points, and Funmi Jimoh of the US is third with 1,975. Russia's European champion Andrey Silnov won the men's high jump in a year's best of 2.38 meters. Britain's Olympic heptathlon bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton set a personal best of 6.79 for the long jump assisted by the maximum possible following wind of two meters a second. The 100m hurdles was rerun at the end of the original program because the third barrier was in the wrong position.
