News Americas, ZÜRICH, Switzerland, Fri. Sept. 9, 2011: The runner Asafa Powell once called a “boy” whipped him yesterday before a full housed of enthusiastic spectators in the city’s famous Letzigrund Stadium in Zürich, Switzerland.
World 100m gold medalist and fellow Jamaican, Yohan Blake, beat back the world’s former fastest man to take the win in the first of the two finals of the Samsung Diamond League. Blake, 21, showed he still has plenty in his tank, roaring to a lifetime best of 9.82 to lower his previous PB to an impressive 0.07sec ahead of Powell and the US’ Walter Dix.
Meanwhile, World 400-m champion, Kirani James of Grenada, again showed a clean pair of heels to the USA’s Olympic champion Lashawn Merritt, who he’d deprived of the World title in Daegu.
The 19-year-old last night came home in front of the American winning by 0.31sec in 44.36. James was also rewarded by winning the overall Diamond Race title denying Jamaica’s Jermaine Gonzales, third on this occasion in 45.39, who had come to Zurich as the event leader. He also smashed the Grenadian National record of 44.47 which Alleyne Francique had posted seven years ago.
