"Usain Bolt told me I'd win tonight but to make sure I do it sub-10 seconds," said Bolt's 21-year-old training partner.

Powell, prevented from running the Daegu World Championships because of a groin injury, has the fastest time of the year to his credit – 9.78 – but he could only manage 9.95.

He had the consolation of setting the final seal on his Diamond League victory in the event this season.

America's Walter Dix, silver medallist in the 100 and 200m in Daegu behind Blake and Bolt respectively, was third in 10.04.

Grenada's 19-year-old world 400m champion Kirani James once again defeated the Olympic champion, LaShawn Merritt of the United States, setting a national record of 44.36 in the process, which was just 0.01 outside the American's world-leading time this season.

Merritt was second in 44.67, with Jamaica's Jermaine Gonzalez third in 45.39.

Another Daegu gold medallist, Australia's 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson, finished as a winner on the night in the refashioned Letzigrund Stadium, producing another technically brilliant run to record a winning time of 12.52.


Elsewhere, however, several newly established world champions found themselves beaten.

In the women's 400m hurdles, Jamaica's Kaliese Spencer turned the tables on the US world champion, Lashinda Demus.

Spencer won in 53.36, her compatriot Melaine Walker, the Daegu silver medallist, second in 53.34, and Demus third in 54.04.

Cuba's Dayron Robles, disqualified from the gold medal position in the Daegu 110m hurdles for obstructing China's Liu Xiang, regained his equilibrium with victory in a season's best of 13.01 ahead of the world champion, Jason Richardson of the US won ran 13.10, and his fellow American David Oliver, who recorded 13.26.

Two other world champions maintained their winning momentum – Germany's Robert Harting, who won the discus with a second round effort of 67.02 metres, and Valerie Adams of New Zealand, who won the shot put with 20.51m.

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