SAINT-DENIS, France – Olympic and World champion Usain Bolt recovered from a poor start to win the 100 metres at the Paris Diamond League meet in 9.84 seconds yesterday.Bolt set a new meet record and beat fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell, who finished second in 9.91. Another Jamaican sprinter, Yohan Blake,was third in 9.95.“It wasn’t the best race I’ve ever had in my life,” said Bolt, who returned to competition in Lausanne, Switzerland, on July 9 following an Achilles injury.“My first part was awful. At the 50 metres, I thought he (Asafa) had me. I had to work a little bit harder to get back in the race.”Bolt, the world record holder in the 100 and 200 metres, pulled away in the final metres to stay unbeaten at 100 metres for 14 consecutive finals.“It’s all about determination,” he said. “I want to be the best, to stay on top. When you run against the best, it always pushes you to do your best all the time. I’m happy, I escaped injuries and I won the race.”Bolt and Powell, who share the fastest time this year at 9.82 seconds, met for the first time this season. Powell is the last man to have beaten Bolt in the 100, two years ago in Stockholm.American David Oliver posted the fastest time this year in the 110-metre hurdles, clocking 12.89 seconds, just 0.02 short of Dayron Robles’ world record.Under perfect weather conditions, with mild temperature and a slight tail wind, Oliver enjoyed a strong start and pulled away to win ahead of fellow American Ryan Wilson, who finished in 13.12. Another American sprinter, Ronnie Ashe, was third in 13.21.Robles, the defending Olympic champion and world record holder in the 110-metre hurdles, pulled out of the meeting because of leg problems.The powerfully built Oliver had already clocked the previous season’s best time, of 12.90, at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon.No world record has ever been set on the fast Stade de France track.American Jeremy Wariner extended his unbeaten record in the Diamond League this season to four races, setting a season best of 44.49 seconds in the 400 metres.The 2004 Olympic champion, who underwent knee surgery last September, easily won ahead of Jermaine Gonzales of Jamaica, who finished in 44.63 to beat his personal best. Belgium Jonathan Borlee was third with 44.77.Wariner, who is hoping he will be able to run under 44 seconds before the end of the season, had set the previous season best of 44.57 last week in Lausanne.After taking the United States 100 metres title and the 400 in Eugene, American Allyson Felix won the 200 metres in 22.14 ahead of fellow American Shalonda Solomon, who finished in 22.55. (AP)
