OSAKA, May 5: World and Olympic gold medallist Jeremy Wariner underlined his dominance in the 400 metres with a crushing victory at the IAAF Japan Grand Prix on Saturday.

The American powered home in 44.02 seconds in Osaka then threatened to break Michael Johnson's world record of 43.18 at this year's world athletics championships at the same venue.

Johnson set his world record in 1999 but Wariner is on a fast-track to joining his fellow American among the greatest 400-metre runners in history.

Darold Williamson trailed Wariner home in second in 44.68 with Australia's Sean Wroe third in 45.58.

China's Olympic champion Liu Xiang eased to victory in his first overseas race of the year as he won the the men's 110 metres hurdles in 13.14 – well outside his world record of 12.88.

Liu's compatriot Shi Dongpeng finished second in 13.24 with Japan's Tasuku Tanonaka third in 13.59.

There was a surprise in the women's 100 metres when world champion Lauryn Williams was beaten by Cydonie Mothersill of the Cayman Islands.

Mothersill blew past the American at the 60-metre mark to clock a winning time of 11.33 with Williams, who also took silver at the 2004 Olympics, crossing the line in 11.44.

Japan's Shingo Suetsugu took advantage of former Olympic champion Maurice Greene's late pullout to win the men's 100m in 10.23.

World champion Bershawn Jackson surged to victory in the men's 400m hurdles in 48.13 ahead of American rival James Carter despite tweaking a hamstring on the third hurdle.

Carter clocked 48.22 with Japan's Dai Tamesue third in 48.73 in a repeat of the result at the 2005 world championships in Helsinki.

This year's world championships take place at Osaka's Nagai Stadium from Aug 25 to Sept 2.

Leading results:

MEN’S:

100 metres: 1. Shingo Suetsugu (Japan) 10.23 seconds; 2. Josh Ross (Australia) 10.37; 3. Nobuharu Asahara (Japan) 10.38.

200 metres: 1. Joshua Johnson (US) 20.55 seconds; 2. Rodney Martin (US) 20.56; 3. Mitsuru Hasegawa (Japan) 20.78.

400 metres: 1. Jeremy Wariner (US) 44.02 seconds; 2. Darold Williamson (US) 44.68; 3. Sean Wroe (Australia) 45.58.

800 metres: 1. Nick Symmonds (US) one minute 49.45 seconds; 2. Jeffrey Riseley (Australia) 1:49.60; 3. Yoshihiro Shimodaira (Japan) 1:50.65.

1500 metres: 1. Kazuya Watanabe (Japan) three minutes 43.56 seconds; 2. Yasunori Murakami (Japan) 3:44.84; 3. Hiroyuki Morikawa (Japan) 3:46.33.

110-metre hurdles: 1. Liu Xiang (China) 13.14 seconds; 2. Shi Dongpeng (China) 13.24; 3. Tasuku Tanonaka (Japan) 13.59.

400-metre hurdles: 1. Bershawn Jackson (US) 48.13 seconds; 2. James Carter (US) 48.22; 3. Dai Tamesue (Japan) 48.73.

High jump: 1. Naoyuki Daigo (Japan) 2.30 metres; 2. Grzegorz Sposob (Poland) 2.24; 3. Tora Harris (US) 2.24.

Long jump: 1. Godfrey Mokoena (South Africa) 8.18 metres; 2. Tim Parravicini (Australia) 7.90; 3. Daisuke Arakawa (Japan) 7.88.

Pole vault: 1. Daichi Sawano (Japan) 5.60 metres; 2. Brad Walker (US) 5.50; 3. Takehito Ariki (Japan) 5.40.

Shot put: 1. Yohei Murakawa (Japan) 17.63 metres; 2. Tadashi Ohashi (Japan) 17.29; 3. Sotaro Yamada (Japan) 16.07.

Javelin throw: 1. Magnus Arvidsson (Sweden) 85.75 metres; 2. Igor Janik (Poland) 80.50; 3. Peter Esenwein (Germany) 80.09.

WOMEN’S:

100 metres: 1. Cydonie Mothersill (Cayman Islands) 11.33 seconds; 2. Lauryn Williams (US) 11.44; 3. Crystal Attenborough (Australia) 11.53.

400 metres: 1. Mary Wineberg (US) 51.20 seconds; 2. Asami Tanno (Japan) 52.17; 3. Monique Henderson (US) 52.41.

1500 metres: 1. Agnes Samaria (Namibia) four minutes 08.06 seconds; 2. Mika Yoshikawa (Japan) 4:10.00; 3. Yuriko Kobayashi (Japan) 4:11.87.

100-metre hurdles: 1. Sally McLellan (Australia) 12.71 seconds; 2. Lolo Jones (US) 12.86; 3. Danielle Carruthers (US) 12.90.

Long jump: 1. Kumiko Ikeda (Japan) 6.73 metres; 2. Grace Upshaw (US) 6.57; 3. Chen Yaling (China) 6.43.

Pole vault: 1. Zhang Yingzhu (China) 4.40 metres; 2. April Steiner (US) 4.40; 3. Ikuko Nishikori (Japan) 4.20.

Hammer throw: 1. Ivana Brkljacic (Croatia) 72.15 metres; 2. Zhang Wenxiu (China) 71.14; 3. Kamila Skolimowska (Poland) 70.42.—Reuters