ATHENS, Sept 17: American Tyson Gay further underlined his growing reputation when he ran another sub-10 second race to win the men's 100 metres at the World Cup on Saturday.
The 24-year-old's time of 9.88 into a 1.1 metre per second headwind was enough to see off European champion Francis Obikwelu and Trinidadian Mark Burns, who was the Americas's replacement for world record holder Asafa Powell.
Powell almost saw some action in the 4x100 metres relay but his Americas team mates dropped the baton before it reached him.
The World Cup brings together teams from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania and the US plus three European nations – Russia (men and women), France (men), and Poland (women) who qualified via the European Cup – plus hosts Greece.
Another American, LaShawn Merrit, reversed last weekend's result in Stuttgart when he beat African champion Gary Kikaya in the 400 metres, while Kerron Clement took advantage of the absence of European champion Pericles Iakovakis – absent with a hamstring injury – to win the 400 metres hurdles.
The US completed a sweep of the day's sprint events by taking the short relay with Gay running the final leg.
However, they still finished the first day – the halfway point in the competition – two points behind Europe who benefited from Ralf Bartel's win in the shot put and Tomas Janku's victory in the high jump.
Kenyan Alex Kipchircher helped Africa into third place by adding the 1500 metres to a long list of successes in 2006.
He won gold medals at last week's World Athletics final in Stuttgart at 1500, the African Championships at 800 and 1500 and the Commonwealth Games in the 800 metres.
Saif Saaeed Shaheen, running for Asia, took the 5000 metres.
The women's competition is evenly balanced with Russia and the Americas level on 65 points, five ahead of Europe.
The Americas had a great day on the track with sprinter Sherone Simpson running 10.97 in the 100 metres to hold off Torri Edwards, the US replacement for Marion Jones who had decided she was not fit enough to run in Athens.
Cuban Zulia Calatayud came home ahead of the Kenyan Janeth Jepkosgei in the 800 metres for the second time in a week.
Sanya Richards set a US record in the 400 metres. Her time of 48.70 seconds broke Valerie Brisco's national record set when she took gold in Los Angeles in 1984.
Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva had arguably the most comfortable evening, needing just one jump to win the women's pole vault at a height of 4.60 metres.
Fellow Russian Tatyana Lebedeva edged Greece's Hrysopiyi Devetzi in the triple jump as both cleared 15 metres.
Leading results:
Men’s:
4x100-metre relay: 1. US 37.59 seconds; 2. Europe 38.45; 3. Asia 38.51.
Discus throw: 1. Koji Murofushi (Asia) 82.01 metres; 2. Ivan Tikhon (Europe) 80.00; 3. Ilya Konovalov (Russia) 77.14.
Shot put: 1. Ralf Bartels (Europe) 20.67 metres; 2. Reese Hoffa (US) 20.60; 3. Pavel Sofin (Russia) 20.45.
400-metre hurdles: 1. Kerron Clement (US) 48.12 seconds; 2. Louis Van Zyl (Africa) 48.35; 3. Marek Plawgo (Europe) 48.76.High jump: 1. Tomas Janku (Europe) 2.28 metres; 2. Andrey Silnov (Russia) 2.24; 3. Tora Harris (US) 2.24.
1500 metres: 1. Alex Kipchirchir (Africa) three minutes 52.60 seconds; 2. Ivan Heshko (Europe) 3:53.33; 3. Nicholas Willis (Oceania) 3:54.76.
Long jump: 1. Irving Saladino (Americas) 8.26 metres; 2. Andrew Howe (Europe) 8.12; 3. Mohamed Salman Al-Khuwalidi (Asia) 8.11.
100 metres: 1. Tyson Gay (US) 9.88 seconds; 2. Francis Obikwelu (Europe) 10.09; 3. Marc Burns (Americas) 10.14.
400 metres: 1. LaShawn Merritt (US) 44.54 seconds; 2. Gary Kikaya (Africa) 44.66; 3. Dimitrios Regas (Greece) 45.11.
5000 metres: 1. Saif Saaeed Shaheen (Asia) 13 minutes 35.30 seconds; 2. Mike Kigen (Africa) 13:36.19; 3. Matt Tegenkamp (US) 13:36.83.
Team standings: 1. Europe 76 points; 2. US 74; 3. Africa 61; 4. Americas 50; 5. Russia 50; 6. Asia 44; 7. France 35; 8. Oceania 32; 9. Greece 25.
Women’s:
Discus throw: 1. Franka Dietzsch (Europe) 66.07 metres; 2. Aretha Thurmond (US) 61.83; 3. Aimin Song (Asia) 61.47.
4x100-metre relay: 1. Americas 42.26 seconds; 2. Russia 42.36; 3. Africa 43.61.
Triple jump: 1. Tatyana Lebedeva (Russia) 15.13 metres; 2. Hrysopiyi Devetzi (Greece) 15.04; 3. Yamile Aldama (Africa) 14.78.
Pole vault: 1. Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia) 4.60 metres; 2. Fabiana Murer (Americas) 4.55; 3. Shuying Gao (Asia) 4.50.
400-metre hurdles: 1. Yuliya Pechonkina (Russia) 53.88 seconds; 2. Lashinda Demus (US) 54.06; 3. Anna Jesien (Poland) 54.48.
3000 metres: 1. Tirunesh Dibaba (Africa) eight minutes 33.78 seconds; 2. Lidia Chojecka (Poland) 8:39.69; 3. Kara Goucher (US) 8:41.42.
100 metres: 1. Sherone Simpson (Americas) 10.97 seconds; 2. Torri Edwards (US) 11.19; 3. Vida Anim (Africa) 11.21.
Javelin throw: 1. Steffi Nerius (Europe) 63.37 metres; 2. Sonia Bisset (Americas) 61.74; 3. Justine Robbeson (Africa) 61.38.
400 metres: 1. Sanya Richards (US) 48.70 seconds; 2. Vanya Stambolova (Europe) 50.09; 3. Novlene Williams (Americas) 50.24.
800 metres: 1. Zulia Calatayud (Americas) two minutes 00.06 seconds; 2. Janeth Jepkosgei (Africa) 2:00.09; 3. Olga Kotlyarova (Russia) 2:00.84.
Team standings: 1. Americas 65 points; 2. Russia 65; 3. Europe 60; 4. Africa 57; 5. US 49; 6. Poland 47; 7. Asia 42; 8. Greece 35; 9. Oceania 26.—Reuters