JOIN USBolt back at his best
Olympic champion Usain Bolt clocked a season's best of 9.76 seconds to win the 100 metres at the Rome Golden Gala Diamond League meeting on Thursday.
The Jamaican world record holder, who managed only 10.04 in Ostrava last Friday, was back to his best against a world class field which included his compatriot and former world record holder Asafa Powell.
Powell, who said later he had not heard the starting gun, finished second in 9.91 while European champion Christophe Lemaitre finished strongly to take third place in 10.04 seconds.
Bolt said he had not been sleeping regularly since he arrived in Europe.
"After Ostrava I decided I will make sure to go to bed early and start eating right," he said. "I feel extremely well, so it's coming back and I'm feeling good.
"People expect me to do well all the time and I expect that from myself also, it's not really pressure for me. I came out here tonight not to prove anything but to tell myself I've still got it.
"The race was much better than in Ostrava. After Ostrava a lot of people questioned me but I never questioned myself."
Ethiopian Fantu Magiso upset Kenya's Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo in the women's 800 metres in a national record of one minute 57.56 seconds.
Huge result
"This is a huge result for me," she said. "I expected that I could run very fast today because my coach told me that today was a good chance for me. This year I am training well and I want to take the chance at the Olympics."
Magiso's team mate Abebe Aregawi also set a national record, clocking a season's best of 3:56.54 in the 1,500 metres final.
Kenyan Paul Koech made a spirited attempt to break the men's world steeplechase record, setting the third fastest time ever with a superb time of 7:54.31.
"I was targeting the world record," Koech said. "During training I had the world record in mind. "I hoped to achieve the world record here in Rome but I am not disappointed because I achieved a new personal best and now I am confident. I think I am capable of running the world record."
Results: Men: 100M: Usain Bolt (Jamaica) 9.76 seconds, 1; Asafa Powell (Jamaica) 9.91, 2; Christophe Lemaitre (France) 10.04, 3. 800M: Leonard Kirwa Kosencha (Kenya) 1:44.42, 1; Marcin Lewandowski (Poland) 1:44.64, 2; Andrew Osagie (Britain) 1:44.71, 3. 400M hurdles: Javier Culson (Puerto Rico) 48.14 seconds, 1; Bershawn Jackson (US) 48.25, 2; Cornel Fredericks (South Africa) 49.21, 3.
3000M Steeplechase: Paul Kipsiele Koech (Kenya) 7:54.31, 1; Abel Kiprop Mutai (Kenya) 8:01.67, 2; Jairus Kipchoge (Kenya) 8:08.79, 3.
High jump: Robbie Grabarz (Britain) 2.33 metres, 1; Trevor Barry (Bahamas) 2.31, 2; Jesse Williams (US) 2.31, 2.
Long jump: Greg Rutherford (Britain) 8.32 metres, 1; Khotso Mokoena (South Africa) 8.20, 2; Aleksandr Menkov (Russia) 8.17, 3.
Pole vault: Renaud Lavillenie (France) 5.82, 1; Romain Mesnil (France) 5.72, 2; Malte Mohr (Germany) 5.72, 3.
Discus throw: Ehsan Hadadi (Iran) 66.73, 1; Virgilijus Alekna (Lithuania) 66.31, 2; Gerd Kanter (Estonia) 65.36, 3.
Women: 100M: Murielle Ahoure (Cote D'Ivoire) 11.00, 1; Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) 11.06, 2; Kerron Stewart (Jamaica) 11.10, 3.
800M: Fantu Magiso (Ethiopia) 1:57.56, 1; Pamela Jelimo (Kenya) 1:58.33, 2; Mariya Savinova (Russia) 1:58.56, 3. 1500M: Abeba Arigawe (Ethiopia) 3:56.54, 1; Hellen Obiri (Kenya) 3:59.68, 2; Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia) 4:00.85, 3.
5000M: Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya) 14:35.62, 1; Meseret Defar (Ethiopia) 14:35.65, 2; Viola Kibiwot (Kenya) 14:39.53, 3.
100M hurdles: Dawn Harper (US) 12.66 seconds, 1; Kellie Wells (US) 12.67, 2; Brigitte Foster-Hylton (Jamaica) 12.78, 3.
400M hurdles: Kaliese Spencer (Jamaica) 54.39 seconds, 1; Lashinda Demus (US) 54.80, 2; Ti'erra Brown (US) 54.96, 3.
Triple jump: Olha Saladuha (Ukraine) 14.75 metres, 1; Olga Rypakova (Kazakhstan) 14.73, 2; Caterine Ibargueen (Colombia) 14.71, 3.
Shot put: Valerie Adams (New Zealand) 21.03 metres, 1; Gong Lijiao (China) 19.79, 2; Nadezhda Ostapchuk (Belarus) 19.58, 3.
Javelin: Barbora Spotakova (Czech Republic) 68.65 metres, 1; Sunette Viljoen (South Africa) 67.95, 2; Goldie Sayers (Britain) 64.73, 3.