Olympic and world 100m champion Justin Gatlin got his 2006 season off to a flying start at the Osaka Grand Prix.
The American clocked 9.95 seconds in his first individual outing, easily surpassing Commonwealth champion Asafa Powell’s world-leading time of 10.03.
Gatlin has already declared that his main aim this summer is to break Powell’s world record of 9.77.
He said: “I wanted to go sub-10, and to do that in my first meet sets a good tone for breaking the world record.”
World 200m champion Allyson Felix completed a US sprint double in Japan as she won the women’s race in 11.11.
The 20-year-old already owns the world-leading mark this year of 11.04.
China’s Olympic champion Xiang Liu proved he had shaken off the ankle injury that kept him of the World Indoors by claiming the 110m hurdles in 13.22.
“Coming off the injury I didn’t expect such a good time,” said Liu. “But I always believe in my ability.”
World 400m hurdles champion, American Bershawn Jackson, also won his event in 47.60.
2006 IAAF World Athletics Tour Osaka Osaka 06-May-2006
Results MEN
GP
Official Result Men - 100 Metres Wind:-0.1m/s
Pos Athlete Nat Mark Pts
1 Gatlin Justin USA 9.95 10
2 Brunson Marcus USA 10.14 8
3 Suetsugu Shingo JPN 10.28 7
4 Hidaka Kazuyoshi JPN 10.40 6
5 Asahara Nobuharu JPN 10.47 5
6 Saburi Shinya JPN 10.51 4
7 Lewis Brian USA 10.51 3
8 Nkansah Eric GHA 10.56 2
9 Ezenwa Ambrose AUS 10.64 0
GP
Official Result Men - 200 Metres Wind:+1.4m/s
Pos Athlete Nat Mark Pts
1 Takahira Shinji JPN 20.48 10
2 Batman Daniel AUS 20.56 8
3 Omae Yusuke JPN 20.57 7
4 Urbas Marcin POL 20.63 6
5 Amoo Seth GHA 20.71 5
6 Dzingai Brian ZIM 20.80 4
7 Yoshino Tatsuro JPN 20.96 3
8 Hasegawa Mitsuru JPN 20.98 2
GP
Official Result Men - 400 Metres
Pos Athlete Nat Mark Pts
1 Kikaya Gary COD 45.06 10
2 Kanemaru Yuzo JPN 45.41 8
3 Byrd Leonard USA 46.22 7
4 Davis James USA 46.43 6
5 Tamesue Dai JPN 46.49 5
6 Davis Lansford JAM 46.60 4
7 Harris Jerry USA 46.61 3
8 Sato Mitsuhiro JPN 46.96 2
Horigome Yoshihiro JPN DNS 0
GP
Official Result Men - 110 Metres Hurdles Wind:+1.2m/s
Pos Athlete Nat Mark Pts
1 Liu Xiang CHN 13.22 10
2 Wignall Maurice JAM 13.50 8
3 Naito Masato JPN 13.64 7
4 Tanonaka Tasuku JPN 13.72 6
5 Cooper Jermaine USA 13.74 5
6 Yoshioka Yasunori JPN 13.76 4
7 Ohashi Yuji JPN 13.83 3
8 Tanigawa Satoru JPN 14.27 2
Watkins Arend USA DNS 0
GP
Official Result Men - 400 Metres Hurdles
Pos Athlete Nat Mark Pts
1 Jackson Bershawn USA 47.60 10
2 Iakovákis Periklís GRE 47.82 8
3 Narisako Kenji JPN 47.93 7
4 Carter James USA 48.16 6
5 Chiba Yoshihiro JPN 48.83 5
6 Yoshikata Masahira JPN 48.93 4
7 Kawakita Naohiro JPN 49.25 3
8 Sharpe Frederick USA 50.01 2
9 Yoshizawa Ken JPN 51.58 0
Results WOMEN
GP
Official Result Women - 100 Metres Wind:+2.6m/s
Pos Athlete Nat Mark Pts
1 Felix Allyson USA 11.11 10
2 Durst Stephanie USA 11.16 8
3 Jones LaVerne ISV 11.29 7
4 Myrick Wyllesheia USA 11.33 6
5 Nobuoka Sakie JPN 11.53 5
6 Ishida Tomoko JPN 11.75 4
7 Kojima Motoka JPN 11.81 3
8 Sato Yuka JPN 11.95 2
GP
Official Result Women - 400 Metres
Pos Athlete Nat Mark Pts
1 Tanno Asami JPN 51.84 10
2 Wittstock Estie RSA 52.01 8
3 Hayward Rosemary AUS 52.79 7
4 Kubokura Satomi JPN 53.19 6
5 Yoshida Makiko JPN 54.41 5
6 Aoki Sayaka JPN 54.51 4
Radecka Zuzanna POL DNF 0
Rücklová Alena CZE DNS 0
yup, not pretty, chin forward must put strain on back of neck and therefore also the shoulders. In other words, plenty of room for improvement, so he should be very happy. If he runs 9.95 with perfect form, he’d be worried now I s’pose. Anyway I’ve posted the pix because (a) I can get them, and (b) we can see how these guns are firing as their year unfolds. kk
