British runners struggle in Paris
Benjamin trailed home behind American LaShawn Merritt
British duo Tim Benjamin and Natasha Danvers-Smith struggled at the Paris Golden League meeting on Friday.
Benjamin, racing for the second time in 48 hours, trailed home in seventh place in the 400m in a time 46.23 seconds.
Danvers-Smith came home last in the 400m hurdles, more than a second adrift of winner Yevgeniya Isakova.
Christian Olsson starred in the triple jump and a quartet of athletes, including Yelena Isinbayeva, are on course for the Golden League jackpot.
Isinbayeva matched her victory in the pole vault at the Oslo meeting and was joined by javelin thrower Terro Pitkamaki and track athletes Sanya Richards (400m) and Michelle Perry (100m hurdles) in recording back-to-back victories.
They will be looking to boost their chances of claiming a share of the $1m jackpot in the third leg of the six stage competition in Rome next Friday.
Phillips Idowu missed out on his chance to stay in the hunt for a big pay day when he pulled out of the meeting in the French capital with a minor injury.
And the sight of Olsson back to his best will have done little to buoy the resting Briton as the countdown to the World Championships in Osaka continues.
The Swede recorded a season’s best leap of 17.56m to climb second in the year’s world rankings behind Brazilian Jadel Gregorio.
American LaShawn Merritt cruised to victory in the 400m, after which struggling Welshman Benjamin vomited.
Isakova stunned unbeaten Jana Pittman-Rawlinson in the 400m hurdles with a time of 54.56 seconds to edge out the Australian.
While Ireland’s Alistair Craig ran the fastest 3,000m by a European this year, although his mark of seven minutes 40.31 seconds was only good enough for fifth behind Moses Kipsiro.