Eugene: Olympic bronze medallist Walter Dix edged out Tyson Gay in the former world champion`s hotly-anticipated return to the 200 metres at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting on Saturday.
In the 110 metres hurdles, American David Oliver recorded the fourth fastest 110 metres hurdles of all time with a 12.90 second run.Gay, who has been battling a nagging hamstring problem for seven weeks, ran his first 200 of the year in 19.76 seconds to finish just shy of Dix, who took control coming off the bend and stayed in front to win in 19.72.
"It wasn`t bad, but I was a little fatigued toward the end," Gay said. "I tried to stay relaxed and bring it home, but it wasn`t enough."
Dix, who won the 100 metres and placed second at the U.S. nationals last weekend, said his race experience had helped, "but I`m a little beat up, too."
"I was a little sloppy out of the blocks, but I was able to hold on," he added. "Tyson gave me great competition."
Oliver, the Olympic bronze medallist, equalled Dominique Arnold`s national record with his second consecutive lifetime best. He ran 12.93 to win the U.S. championships last Sunday.
Only world record holder Dayron Robles (12.87) of Cuba and China`s Liu Xiang have run faster.
"I didn`t get a great start but I brought it home," Oliver said.
The American left countryman Ryan Wilson (13.16) well behind in second spot.
Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown, the Olympic 200 champion, surprised a talented 100 field with a personal best and season-leading 10.78 seconds to leave her thinking she might double at next year`s world championships.
Olympic 100 gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser trailed in 10.82, just ahead of American Carmelita Jeter (10.83).
Three other season-leading marks were set.American world champion Christian Cantwell used a last-effort throw of 22.41 metres to win the shot put, and world indoor 800 metres champion Mariya Savinova of Russia clocked 1:57.56 to beat Olympic 1,500 gold medallist Nancy Langat of Kenya at the shorter distance.
Sudan`s Abubaker Kaki added a fifth season-leading mark when he took the infrequently run 1,000 metres in 2:13.62.
Kenyan Olympic 1,500 champion Asbel Kiprop just missed another when he won the mile in 3:49.75.
Olympic long jump champion Irving Saladino of Panama pulled a mild surprise as he used a wind-assisted leap of 8.46 metres to beat U.S. world gold medallist Dwight Phillips (8.41).
Brazilan world indoor gold medallist Fabiana Murer also came out on top, winning the women`s pole vault over Polish world champion Anna Rogowska. Both cleared 4.58 metres. U.S. world leader Jenn Shur failed to clear a height.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.