Gay beats Gatlin to clinch 100m

REUTERS

Tyson Gay (C) of the U.S. celebrates after winning ahead of Justin Gatlin (L) of U.S. and Christophe Lemaitre of France in the men's 100 meters at the IAAF Diamond League athletics meeting at the Stade de France Stadium in Saint-Denis, near Paris July 6, 2012. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

St-Denis, France - Tyson Gay beat Justin Gatlin at the line to win the 100 meters at the Diamond League Areva meet on Friday, avenging his loss to the 2004 Olympic champion at the U.S. trials last month for the London Games.

Gay dipped across the line in 9.99 seconds, .04 ahead of Gatlin. European champion Christophe Lemaitre of France was third in 10.08.

Gay won three gold medals at the 2007 world championships. But he has since been affected by various injuries and overtaken by world record holder Usain Bolt.

In other events, Javier Culson of Puerto Rico in the men's 400 hurdles, Kenyan runner David Rudisha in the 800 and Dejen Gebremeskel of Ethiopia in the 5,000 set world-leading times this year.

Culson clocked 47.78 seconds and Rudisha won in 1 minute, 41.54 seconds. But Gebremeskel had more trouble, only pulling ahead of countryman Hagos Gebrehiwet in the last stretch to win in 12:46.81.

Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia, meanwhile, won't defend his 5,000 title at the Olympics after finishing ninth.

“ I'm not that disappointed because I'll run in the 10,000,” Bekele said. “I wish good luck to the three Ethiopians who will be in London.”

Mariem Alaoui Selsouli of Morocco also set the world's fastest time this year to win the women's 1,500 in 3:56.15 seconds. Sally Pearson did likewise, the Australian blitzing the field in the 100 hurdles to run 12.40.

A heavy but brief shower dampened the Stade de France track before making way for bright sunshine.

Culson had little trouble adding to his victory at the Golden Gala meet in Rome in May.

He pulled ahead at the halfway stage and held off a late challenge from world champion David Greene (47.84). Felix Sanchez finished third, with Olympic bronze medalist Bershawn Jackson fourth.

Paul Kipsiele Koech led a 1-2-3 for Kenya in the men's 3,000 steeplechase.

Leevan Sands of the Bahamas comfortably won the triple jump, leaping a season-best 17.23 meters at his second attempt.

“The rain stopped at the right time for us,” Sands said. “I wanted something around 17.20, so it all worked out just perfect.”

European pole vault champion Renaud Lavillenie of France was not at his best but did enough to win with a vault of 5.77 meters.

Canada's Dylan Armstrong won the shot put with a mark of 20.54 meters, taking the overall lead in the Diamond race.

“I am right where I want to be in my training,” Armstrong said. “Next competition is London (Crystal Palace) and then the Olympics.”

In other women's events, Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast finished strongly to win the 200 in 22.55. She held off American sprinters Bianca Knight (22.64) and Charonda Williams (22.70).

Amantle Montsho of Botswana won the 400 ahead of Jamaica's Novlene Williams-Mills, with Francena McCorory of the United States in third.

Tunisia's Habiba Ghribi overtook Kenya's Lidya Chepkurui near the line to win the 3,000 steeplechase.

“I gave everything in the home straight,” Ghribi said.

Dani Samuels of Australia won the discus with a throw of 61.81meters, with Croatia's Sandra Perkovic in second place. - Sapa-AP