Dix ready to rock Bolt`s world in Daegu

Walter Dix says Usain Bolt could be beaten at the global championships in South Korea after easing to victory in the 200 metres at the London Diamond League.

London: American Walter Dix said Olympic and world champion Usain Bolt could "definitely be beaten" at the global championships in South Korea after easing to victory in the 200 metres on the second day of the London Diamond League meeting on Saturday.

Dix was among a number of U.S. athletes to record impressive wins on a cool day in the British capital, with fellow sprinter Carmelita Jeter and one-lap queen Sanya Richards-Ross also laying down the gauntlet to their rivals ahead of the worlds in Daegu which start on Aug. 27. Olympic double bronze medallist Dix, the top American male hope for sprint medals in the absence of the injured Tyson Gay, clocked 20.16 seconds into a minus headwind and was pleased by his performance. "All I do is win, that`s why you can never count me out. I need a couple of medals at the world championships and people will start to look out for me," said Dix, the U.S. champion at 100 and 200. Bolt may not have been at the meeting, which he also missed last year because of British tax rules on promotional earnings, but he will be the man to beat in Daegu, a task Dix thought was far from impossible when asked about it after his victory. Another sprinter to watch at the worlds will be Jeter, who has been in consistent form all season and aged 31, will be a strong contender for a first global title after bronzes in 2007 and 2009.The second fastest woman of all-time over 100m -- only the late Florence Griffith-Joyner has gone quicker -- powered down the straight to win in 10.93, ahead of Trinidad & Tobago`s Kelly-Ann Baptiste (10.97) and Olympic and world champion Shelley-Ann Fraser Pryce (11.10). Richards-Ross appears to be hitting peak form at the right time as she heads to Korea to defend her world 400m crown. The 26-year-old, who missed most of last season through injury, lowered her season`s best by nearly a second in clocking 49.66. "I`m so excited ... I wanted to put on a show. It`s taken some time but I`m finally back to where I`ll be able to defend my title," she said. The American`s best display of the season contrasted sharply with that of Britain`s Olympic and former world champion Christine Ohuruogu who trailed in last. Ohuruogu, like Richards-Ross, missed most of the 2010 season through injury and has hardly competed this year. "I just haven`t got enough in my legs," she said. Home favourite and world and European triple jump champion Philips Idowu was upstaged by American Christian Taylor who smashed his personal best by 28 centimetres with a third round leap of 17.68 metres to take victory. The always colourful Idowu, his cropped hair dyed blonde with a blue stripe down the middle and resplendent in white headband and knee high white socks, was far from his best and had to settle for third with a jump of 17.07. The 32-year-old, who made a late withdrawal from the UK Trials last weekend and has been embroiled in a row with UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee over his withdrawal from the European Team Championships in June, admitted his performance was not what he was looking for in his last competition before the worlds."I`ve been working quite hard for the last few weeks, done a lot of competitions and I just wasn`t sharp today," he said. "But no one is going to look back in a month`s time and say `I won Crystal Palace`. I`m focused on Daegu." In other events, Australian Sally Pearson scorched to victory in the women`s 100m hurdles, Puerto Rican Javier Culson won the men`s 400m hurdles in a season`s best 48.33 seconds and Lithuania`s Virgilijus Alekna, twice Olympic and world discus champion, secured victory with a throw of 66.71 metres. Bureau Report