Hemmings

OSLO, CANA-REUTERS - JAMAICA'S Olympic champion Deon Hemmings ran a 1999 world best time in the 400-metre hurdles and Barbadian Obadele Thompson was awarded the 200 metres at the Bislett Games yesterday.

Hemmings slammed a good field to win in 53.48 seconds, while Thompson (20.38) got the men's 200 after Trinidadian Ato Boldon was disqualified, and Jamaican James Beckford suffered his first loss in the IAAF grand series.

In the women's 400 hurdles, Hemmings, whose previous best time this year was 53.90 seconds, scored a convincing win over Romania's Ionela Tirlea (54.05) and Ukraine's Tatyana Tereshchuk (54.23).

World champion Nezha Bidouane of Morocco, who entered the meet as world leader at 53.54 seconds, was fourth, and Barbadian Commonwealth champion Andrea Blackett, was fifth in 55.21 seconds.

After powering home at the front of the field in the men's 200, Boldon was disqualified, apparently for running out of lane.

He has lost his chance of the US$1 million jackpot on offer to athletes who win specific events in the seven meetings of the lucrative Golden League series.

Thompson chased Boldon to the finish, followed by Brazilian Claudinei da Silva (20.41), and Nigerian Francis Obikwelu (20.42).

In the men's long jump, American Erick Walder posted the year's best jump of 8.50 metres, to beat Beckford, the overall grand prix points leader, whose best jump was measured at 8.33 metres. Beckford had entered the meet as world leader at 8.41 metres done in Japan last month.

Women's world sprint champion Marion Jones also looked comfortable in winning the women's 200 in 22.22 seconds, beating Bev McDonald, Jamaica's 1998 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games champion for the distance.

McDonald was clocked at 22.51, and Ukraine's world champion Zhanna Pintussevich-Block was third in 22.66, followed by Bahamian Debbie Ferguson (22.80).

World 800 metres record holder Wilson Kipketer, battling back to top form after suffering with malaria last year, produced a morale-boosting win on one of the most prestigious tracks for distance running.

The Kenyan-born Kipketer, who smashed Seb Coe's two-lap record in a brilliant season two years ago, clocked the fastest time in the world this year of one minute 43.11 seconds at the Bislett Games.