Powell, Gay have contrasting fortunes - Kenyan marathon joy

By John Bagratuni Aug 25, 2007, 13:37 GMT

Jamaican Asafa Powell (L) leads Derrick Atkins of Bahamas during the 100m second run at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Osaka, Japan, 25 August 2007. EPA/KIMIMASA MAYAMA

Osaka, Japan - World record holder Asafa Powell looked awesome while his main rival Tyson Gay had an awful start as both reached the 100 metres semi-finals at the world athletics championships on Saturday.

The Jamaican Powell stormed out of the blocks and clocked 10.01 seconds even though he considerably slowed down after 70 metres.

Gay then started terribly after a false start before recovering in 10.06 seconds.

'The false start kind of threw me off. This is how it goes. (But) the speed is there. If I execute my start I am ready for tomorrow,' said Gay.

Powell only said: 'It was as I expected, nothing else. All is going according to my plans.'

Powell's world record stands at 9.77 seconds while the American Gay leads the 2007 list with 9.84 seconds. Neither has won a major title to date.

Sunday's semi-final and final will be attended by Japanese Emperor Akihito, who earlier Saturday officially opened the nine-day championships in which almost 2,000 athletes from 203 countries compete for 47 world titles.

By then, Luke Kibet had already won Kenya's first marathon gold in 20 years in the hottest race in world championship history. The only other Kenyan win was 1987 from Douglas Wakiihuri.

Later Saturday, top pick Reese Hoffa beat fellow-American Adam Nelson into a familiar second place in the shot put final with a massive 22.04 metres in his third attempt.

The defending champion Nelson had to settle for silver like in 2001 and 2003. The 2003 winner Andrei Mikhnevich was third for Belarus with 21.27m.

The day's only other final, the women's 10,000m, was to complete Saturday's action.

Kibet, 24, broke a small leader group at the 30-kilometres mark and won the classic 42.195km race in 2 hours 15 minutes 59 seconds.

Kenya-born Qatari Mubarak Hassan Shami got the silver in 2:17:18 and Swiss ace Viktor Rothlin got worlds bronze in 2:17:25 after European silver last year. Home hero Tsuyoshi Ogata came close to taking a medal but had to settle for fifth eventually in 2:17:42 hours.

Conditions were tough for the 92 starters, with temperatures at around 30 degrees celsius despite an early 7 am start and 33 degrees on the finish, higher than the previous record 30 in Seville 1999. Six runners required medical help, the ruling body IAAF said.

'It has been a long while for Kenya. I felt comfortable despite the hot weather. I know it is my eighth marathon and I am proud to win the gold for my country,' said Kibet, who earlier this year got his first city marathon win in Vienna.

Ogata said: 'I wanted to get a medal today, the colour would not be important.'

In evening heats, three-time champion Maria Mutola of Mozambique, competing in her ninth worlds, advanced from the women's 800m heats in 2:00.00 minutes along with strong Russian European champion Olga Kotlyarova (2:01.75) and defending champion Zulia Calatayud (2:01.81).

But season leader Yuliya Krevsun of Ukraine crashed out, naming the painful elimination 'a big learning experience.'

Former world champion Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic reached the 400m hurdles semis. The hosts' biggest medal hope Koji Murofushi made the final in the hammer, an event in which he took Olympic gold in 2004, with 77.25m and Brazilian year-leader Jadel Gregorio the triple-jump decider with 17.10m.

Swedish heroine Carolina Kluft was on course for a third heptathlon gold in a row with an overnight lead on 4,162 points from Ukraine season leader Lyudmila Blonska (4,014).

The heptathlon is to be completed on Sunday, with the 100m, the men's 20km walk and the women's shot put the other finals.