Bolt beats Powell in 100-meter showdown

Associated Press

SAINT-DENIS, France

Olympic and world champion Usain Bolt recovered from a poor start to win the 100 meters at the Paris Diamond League meet in 9.84 seconds Friday.

Bolt set a new meet record and beat fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell, who finished second in 9.91. Jamaican Yohan Blake was third in 9.95.

“It wasn’t the best race I’ve ever had in my life,” said Bolt, who returned to competition in Lausanne, Switzerland, on July 9 following an Achilles’ tendon injury.

“My first part was awful. At the 50 meters, I thought he [Powell] had me. I had to work a little bit harder to get back in the race.”

Bolt, the world record holder in the 100 and 200, pulled away in the final meters to stay unbeaten at 100 for 14 consecutive finals.

“It’s all about determination,” he said. “I want to be the best, to stay on top. When you run against the best, it always pushes you to do your best all the time. I’m happy, I escaped injuries and I won the race.”

Bolt and Powell, who share the fastest time this year at 9.82 seconds, met for the first time this season. Powell is the last man to have beaten Bolt in the 100, two years ago in Stockholm.

American David Oliver posted the fastest time this year in the 110-meter hurdles, clocking 12.89 seconds, just 0.02 short of Dayron Robles’ world record.

It was enough, though, to take the American national record outright from Dominique Arnold, who ran 12.90 in 2006. Oliver had equaled that mark at the Prefontaine Classic two weeks ago.

Under perfect weather conditions, with mild temperature and a slight tail wind, Oliver enjoyed a strong start and pulled away to win ahead of fellow American Ryan Wilson, who finished in 13.12. American Ronnie Ashe was third in 13.21.

“The run overall was OK,” Oliver said. “I hit a few hurdles. I sat down on one of the hurdles, my hips dropped, that’s a waste of time.”

He insisted he didn’t regret missing the world record so narrowly.

“You can’t be frustrated,” he said. “I’m winning, man. That’s the most important thing — you’re never frustrated when you win.

“I won Paris, I get four more Diamond League points. I want to be the Diamond League champion, that helps my goal. I just want to win. If you don’t win, you can’t be great. I want to be great.”

Robles, the defending Olympic champion, pulled out of the meeting because of leg problems.