MOSCOW, Sept 21: American Justin Gatlin upset world champion Kim Collins and world record holder Tim Montgomery to win the men’s 100 metres at the $2 million Moscow Challenge on Saturday.

Gatlin, the world indoor 60 metres champions, ran a modest 10.05 seconds on a chilly night at the Luzhniki Olympic stadium to claim a cool $500,000 first prize.

European 100 metres champion Dwain Chambers of Britain was a distant second in 10.18, with American Montgomery third in 10.19.

Collins, who pulled off an upset victory at the world championships in Paris, came sixth in a time of 10.36.

The sprinters were competing for a record $1 million in prize money, half of which went to the winner.

Chryste Gaines was the only runner to go under 11 seconds in the women’s 100 metres, sealing a one-sided victory over a strong field including world 100 and 200 metres champion Kelli White.

In earlier action, Maria Mutola of Mozambique, one of several world and Olympic champions on view, easily won the 800 metres in a time of one minute 58.82 seconds.

Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj had a much harder time in the 1500 metres, edging out Kenya’s Paul Korir by just four hundredths of a second.

Leading results:

Men:

1,500 metres: 1. Hicham El Guerrouj (Morroco) three minutes 36.44 seconds 2. Paul Korir (Kenya) 3:36.48 3. Alex Kipchirchir (Kenya) 3:38.43 4. Vyacheslav Shabunin (Russia) 3:38.92 5. Ivan Heshko (Ukraine) 3:40.28 6. Robert Rono (Kenya) 3:41.77 7. Dmitry Onufrienko (Russia) 3:53.15 8. Sammy Mutai (Kenya) 3:59.27

Triple jump: 1. Christian Olsson (Sweden) 17.34 metres 2. Walter Davis (U.S.) 16.91 3. Dmitry Valyukevich (Belarus) 16.87 4. Kenta Bell (U.S.) 16.86 5. Leevan Sands (Bahamas) 16.79

Women:

100 metres: 1. Chryste Gaines (U.S.) 10.98 2. Christine Arron (France) 11.18 3. Kelli White (U.S.) 11.21 4. Zhanna Block (Ukraine) 11.32 5. Muriel Hurtis (France) 11.35 6= Natalya Safronnikova (Belarus) 11.43 6= Marina Kislova (Russia) 11.43 8. Elva Goulbourne (Jamaica) 11.87

800 metres: 1. Maria Mutola (Mozambique) 1:58.82 2. Mina Ait Hammou (Morocco) 1:59.39 3. Diane Cummins (Canada) 2:00.38 4. Natalya Khrushchelyova (Russia) 2:00.42 5. Faith Macharia (Kenya) 2:00.81 6. Jolanda Ceplak (Slovenia) 2:02.02 7. Tatiana Tomashova (Russia) 2:02.49 8. Joanne Fenn (Britain) 2:05.24

High jupm: 1. Vita Palamar (Ukraine) 1.96 2= Inga Babakova (Ukraine) 1.92 2= Kajsa Bergqvist (Sweden) 1.92 4. Marina Kuptsova (Russia) 1.92

Long jump: 1. Tatyana Lebedeva (Russia) 6.82 2. Eunice Barber (France) 6.72 3. Tatyana Kotova (Russia) 6.63 4. Olga Rublyova (Russia) 6.52 5. Elva Goulbourne (Jamaica) 6.44 — Reuters