Oliver Sets US Record, Usain Bolt Edges Asafa Powell

INDIANAPOLIS
– 2010 USA Outdoors champion David Oliver set the American record in
the men’s 110m hurdles Friday night in Paris at the Samsung IAAF
Diamond League Meeting Areva.

With
his long and strong strides, Oliver made a quick start to lead the race
in its entirety and finish in an American record time of 12.89 seconds.
It was just two weeks ago at the Nike Prefontaine Classic when Oliver
equaled the American record of 12.90 seconds, first posted by Dominique
Arnold in 2006.

Oliver’s
sizzling 12.89 was two-hundredths of a second off the two-year-old
world record of 12.87, set by Dayron Robles (CUB) in Ostrava. Robles,
who was originally set to compete in Paris, was sidelined for hamstring
injury prevention measures.

Also
bringing sparkle to the track, Jeremy Wariner made it four-for-four in
Samsung Diamond League 400m races this season when he clocked a
world-leading time of 44.49 seconds. The three-time World Outdoor
medalist has returned strong from his knee surgery last September to
run two world leading times, first at last week’s Lausanne (44.57) and
then again tonight in Paris. Also in the men’s 400m, national champion
Greg Nixon finished sixth in 45.81 seconds and David Neville finished 8th in 45.83 seconds.

Rivalries tested on the track and in the field

The
world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt found the win in the men’s 100m dash
over fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell in a time of 9.84 seconds. Powell was
the runner-up in 9.91. Bolt’s meet record win was Powell’s second
defeat of the season after losing to American Tyson Gay in Gateshead
last Saturday.

Continuing
their back-and-forth battle, rivals Croatian Blanka Vlasic and American
record holder Chaunte Lowe squared-off for the sixth time this season
with Vlasic finding the win and setting a meeting record at
2.02m/6-7.5. Vlasic cleared 2.02m/6-7.5 on her first attempt while Lowe
failed at all three attempts to make a clearance.

Also
at the track, national champion Brittney Reese sealed her victory in
the women’s long jump competition in her last round jump of
6.79m/22-3.5. This performance propels Reese into the top spot of the
Samsung Diamond League. Also in the field, Funmi Jimoh finished seventh
with a jump of 6.56m/21-6.25 and Brianna Glenn finished tenth at
6.38m/20-11.25.

Filling
out a deep field in the women’s 1,500m, seven women brought sub-four
minute career bests to the line. Crossing the line first, Russia’s Anna
Alminova clocked a world-leading time of 3:57.65. On her heels, USA
Outdoors fourth-place finisher Christin Wurth-Thomas ran a new personal
best at 3:59.59 to take second. Shannon Rowbury, won bronze at the 2009
World Outdoor Championships, finished in a season’s best 4:01.30.

Americans
Allyson Felix (22.14) and Shalonda Solomon (22.55) finished one and two
in the women’s 200m race. Also rounding up the field were Bianca Knight
finishing sixth in 22.83 and Porscha Lucas finishing seventh in 22.85.

For more information and complete results from the Samsung IAAF Diamond League Meeting Areva, visit