Justin Gatlin breaks 100m record

Linz (Austria): Justin Gatlin stretched his season’s unbeaten streak in the 100 metres to 10 races by trashing the 20-year-old best mark of the Gugl Games on Monday. The 2012 Olympic bronze medalist finished in 9.82 seconds, scraping 0.12 off the meeting record set by Davidson Ezinwa of Nigeria in 1994.

Gatlin’s run was the fastest ever in Austria though he came 0.02 short of his own best mark for the season after clocking 9.80 at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne. The American’s personal best is 9.79. Gatlin finished runner-up to Usain Bolt at the world championships last year but the Jamaican standout hasn’t competed yet this season.

Gatlin’s next appearance is at the Diamond League in Monaco on Friday. Second-placed Mike Rodgers timed 9.92 while Ryan Bailey took third in 10.12 for an American sweep of the podium. Nesta Carter, part of Jamaica’s golden 4x100  relay team at the London Games, trailed by another 0.01 in fourth.

In the women’s 100, Carina Horn of South Africa and Carrie Russell  of Jamaica shared victory in 11.21 but failed to threaten Marion Jones’ 16-year-old meeting record of 10.84. Shalonda Solomon of United States trailed by 0.04 in third. Mikel Thomas of Trinidad and Tobago took the 110 hurdles in 13.42 while indoor world champion Nia Ali of the United States won the women’s race over 100 meters in 12.82.

Anthony Chemut of Kenya was the fastest over the unusual 1,000-meter distance, finishing in 2 minutes, 18.20 seconds. Olympic bronze medalist Will Claye won the long jump with an 8.19-meter effort, beating Mike Hartfield by 0.04. Tyron Stewart jumped 7.76 for another American 1-2-3 sweep.