Jamaica Olympic stars winless in Oregon

EUGENE, Oregon (CMC):
In-form American sprinter, Michael Rodgers, ran a world-leading 9.94 seconds and there were no Caribbean wins at the 2009 Prefontaine Classic IAAF Grand Prix meeting at Hayward Field on Sunday.

Jamaica's former world 100-metre record-holder Asafa Powell and Olympic silver medal winners Kerron Stewart and Shericka Williams had to settle for runner-up spots as American home stars registered a flurry of wins at the event, part of the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Tour.

Rodgers unseated Caribbean men Churandy Martina, of the Dutch Antilles and Antiguan Daniel Bailey as the quickest men in the world so far this year, with a solid win in the men's 100 metres.

Runner-up spot

With a legal following wind of +1.7 metres per second, Rodgers eclipsed Martina's 9.97 and Bailey's 9.99 with his 9.94 run.

Powell was second in 10.07 seconds, edging American Walter Dix (10.07) in a photo-finish for the runner-up spot.

Trinidad and Tobago's Olympic silver medallist Richard Thompson was fifth in 10.09 and Caribbean runners filled the remaining spots sixth through eighth - Jamaican Michael Frater (10.18), Martina (10.24) and T&T's Marc Burns (10.34).

Jamaicans Stewart and Shelly-Ann Fraser, the Olympic champion, also tasted defeat in the 100 for women as American Carmelita Jeter won in a wind-assisted 10.85 seconds.

Jeter scored ahead of Stewart (10.90) and American Muna Lee (11.02), with Fraser fourth in 11.10 with a following wind of +3.2 mps.

US representative Sanya Richards took her 400-metre run in a world-leading 49.86, the first sub-50 clocking this year.

She won ahead of Sherika Williams (50.72) and Russian Yuliya Guschina (51.17), while Jamaicans Novlene Williams-Mills (51.32) and Olympic 400-metre hurdles champion Melaine Walker (52.01) were fifth and seventh, respectively.

Kenia Sinclair stopped the clock at two minutes 01.02 seconds in the 800 metres, chasing Maggie Vessey (2:00.18).

Jamaican 400-metre hurdles world leader, Isa Phillips, finished second in his outing in 48.55 seconds, beaten by Bershawn Jackson, of the USA.

Jackson won in 48.38, a mere 0.02 seconds off Phillips' world-leading time of 48.36. American Kerron Clement (48.73) was third and Jamaican Markino Buckley was fifth in 50.80 seconds.

Scarcely run race

Olympic 400-mere champion LaShawn Merritt sped to a 31.30 victory in a scarcely run men's 300-metre race, defeating fellow Americans Xavier Carter (31.93) and Wallace Spearmon (32.14). Trinidad and Tobago's Renny Quow placed sixth in 32.55.

Caribbean men were unplaced in the field events contested.

Jamaican Dorian Scott (19.91m) was seventh in the shot pot behind American winner Reesa Hoffa (21.89m).

Jamaican Jovanee Jarrett (6.66m) was fourth in the competitive women's long jump won by American Funmi Jimoh (6.69m).

There was a personal season's best win for American Michelle Perry in the 100-metre hurdles in 12.74 seconds.

Jamaicans Brigitte Foster-Hylton (13.08) and Vonette Dixon (13.31) were fifth and seventh, respectively.