American sprinter Justin Gatlin continued his fine form by clocking 9.78 to win the 100 metres at the Diamond League meet on Friday (Saturday AEST) - and then warned his rivals that he can go even faster at the world championships next month, with the right start.
Gatlin, undefeated in the 100m since 2013, comfortably beat countryman Tyson Gay and Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut on a hot night at Monaco's Stade Louis II stadium that saw a world record from Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba in the women's 1,500 metres.
Gay, who earlier teamed up with Gatlin as the American men won the 4x100m relay, clocked 9.97, with Vicaut finishing in 10.03.
Gatlin's time was 0.04 outside his world-leading season-best, but he is the man to beat at the world championships in Beijing next month as title holder Usain Bolt struggles with a leg injury.
"Makes me feel really good, to go out there and dominate such a stellar race today," Gatlin said.
"The good thing is I have three weeks at home to get rest, make sure I have the best opportunity and (be) faster when I go to Beijing."
Gatlin was slightly slower than last week, however, when he clocked 9.75 at the Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Switzerland.
"Hopefully 9.7 is going to be my standard, (I'll) get some rest and run faster in Beijing. I can go home now, study all my races from this season, see where my flaws are and come out blazing in Beijing," Gatlin said.
"Flaws? Yeah, definitely. In Lausanne my steps from the start weren't as good as my coach wanted."
But the performance of the night went to Dibaba, who clocked 3 minutes, 50.07 seconds to eclipse the long-standing mark of 3:50.46 set by China's Qu Yunxia in 1993.
The 24-year-old Dibaba crushed her own personal best of 3:54.11 - the leading time this year which she set last week at a meet in Barcelona.
"With the training I did in Barcelona, I knew I was going to break it," Dibaba said through a translator.
Several others, including Kenya's Asbel Kiprop in the men's 1,500, Bosnian Amel Tuka in the men's 800, American Bershawn Jackson in the men's 400 hurdles, American Francena McCorory and the women's 4x100 relay team set leading performances in the world this year.
Jackson clocked 48.23 in the 400 hurdles, pulling away strongly to finish ahead of Poland's Patryk Dobek, who set a personal best of 48.62, and American countryman Johnny Dutch, who clocked 48.67.
Mo Farah, the Olympic champion in 5,000m and 10,000m, finished fourth in the 1,500m, gradually dropping off the pace as Kiprop posted the third fastest time ever in 3:26.69. Only Kenyan Bernard Lagat (3:26.34) and Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj (3:26) have run faster.
"At the bell I saw 2:31-2:32 so I knew it could be a very fast time," Kiprop said. "I'm very satisfied but I wanted a bit faster time."
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