Johnson sets season's world best in 110m hurdles

Switzerland - Hicham El Guerrouj rebounded from his startling loss in Rome last week, winning the 1,500m Tuesday on the week-old Pontaise track at the Athletissima Super Grand Prix meeting.

Four-time world champion Allen Johnson of the United States posted a season's best time of 13.05 seconds to win the 110m hurdles despite cool, drafty conditions, while double world champion Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic extended his two-year unbeaten streak in the 400m hurdles, setting another world best in 47.86.

El Guerrouj, who was so shaken by last week's end to a 29-race victory streak in the distance that he was considering skipping the Olympics next month, raced to redemption in 3:32.20.

"It's going fine now. These things happen. That's sports," El Guerrouj said.

The Moroccan led easily until the final 300m, when he suddenly slowed. But unlike in Rome, he refused to give up and nipped Isaac Songok of Kenya for one of his closest victories.

Songok crossed in 3:32.22, while Ivan Heshko of Ukraine was third in 3:33.00.

Last week in Rome, the Moroccan finished a distant eighth, more than two seconds behind surprise winner Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain. Until then, El Guerrouj had been undefeated since finishing second

at the 2000 Sydney Games. He has won 81 of 83 races over 1,500m since 1996, but had won his last three races by margins of just 0.03, 0.04 and 0.05 seconds.

Ramzi, who was entered in Tuesday's 1,500m, mysteriously pulled out at the last moment.

In the 110m hurdles, Stanislavs Olijars of Latvia finished second in 13.21 for his best time this season, while American Ron Bramlett was third with a personal best of 13.26.

"It's a very fast track. I like it," Johnson said. "It's my favourite meet. I am very happy. It is important to have good times ahead of the Olympics."

Johnson and Bramlett were among few Americans at the meet with the US Championships and Olympic trials starting July 9. However, Johnson was able to fit the Athletissima into his schedule as the American hurdlers begin their selection on July 17.

"That gives me time to rest," Johnson said. "I expected to improve on my performance in Rome and if I run 13.05 in the trials, I think I'll be fine."

Johnson clocked 13.11 in Rome, where he beat archrival Xiang Liu of China in a photo finish.

Johnson, who won a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics, is hoping to become the first hurdler to win gold medals eight years apart. But while his primary goal this season remains winning in Athens, setting a world record is also on his agenda.

"I think I have lasted the last 10 years because I have new challenges every year to motivate me," Johnson said. "But over that time, I wish I could have had a world record, even for one day. You can keep titles while world records go away.

"On the other hand, I know what it is to win an Olympic title but I don't know what it's like to beat a world record."

Sanchez, the 2003 world champion, collected his 38th consecutive victory in the 400m hurdles, breaking the 48-second barrier for the first time this year.

The New York-born hurdler, who grew up in southern California but competes for the Dominican Republic, is undefeated in the event since 2001.

Sanchez finished ahead of Llewellyn Herbert of South Africa, runner-up with a time of 48.03. Dai Tamesue of Japan was third in 48.63.

"I was happy Llewellyn and Tamesue were able to push me to a good time," Sanchez said. "Every race is a stepping stone for the Olympics. I'll be ready to defend my winning streak in Athens. But today the most important thing was to run my race."

Svetlana Cherkasova outsprinted Olympic and world champion Maria Mutola in the final 100m to win the 800m in 1:58.91, edging the Mozambique runner by 0.15 seconds.

Mutola - the 2003 Golden League Jackpot winner and six-time world indoor 800m champion - was seeking her fourth victory here after winning here in 1996, 2002 and '03.

Asafa Powell of Jamaica won the men's 100m in 10.00, ahead of Francis Obikwelu, who posted a Portuguese record of 10.02. Aziz Zakari of Ghana, the winner in Rome last week, was third in 10.13.

The 21-year-old Powell was the first athlete to run under 10 seconds this season, clocking 9.99 in Kingston on June 12, and 9.91 on the same track two weeks later at the National Senior Championships, putting him in strong contention for gold in Athens. That time was a new Jamaican record.

Christine Arron of France, the anchor of the 4x100m gold-medal winning team at the worlds in Paris last year, confirmed her good shape by winning the 100m in 11.01, her best performance of the season.

Arron, the European 100m record holder since 1998 and the third-fastest female sprinter in history, finished ahead of Jamaica's Aleen Bailey, runner-up in 11.13, while Yuliya Nesterenko of Belarus crossed third in 11.17.

"I need to keep running races like that, just getting faster," Arron said.

The brand new Pontaise track has a similar surface to those in Rome and Monaco. Athletes who have tested the track labelled it hard and fast, but the chilly conditions prevented many from realising their best performances.

 -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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