ATHLETICS: Chambers has pace to eclipse Bailey

DWAIN CHAMBERS was the winner as Olympic champion and former 100m world record-holder Donovan Bailey, of Canada, came a distant eighth in the St Denis Grand Prix II on Saturday at the Stade de France.

More than 50,000 people attended the first track meeting at the stadium that hosted last year's football World Cup final. A European record was also set in the women's pole vault.

Bailey held the world record of 9.84sec in the 100 metres until America's Maurice Greene set 9.79sec two weeks ago. Bailey, who ruptured an Achilles tendon playing basketball last September, was eighth behind Chambers, who won in 10.12.

Nigeria's Kenedy Ochieng took advantage of the absence of world record- holder Butch Reynolds to win the 400m in the IAAF Permit meet in Hungary.

Ochieng finished in 45.44sec, followed by Eric Milazar, of Mauritius, in 45.60, and the 1994 European champion, Duaine Ladejo of England, in 45.93. John Regis struggled, coming ninth in the 200m, and failing to qualify for the 100.

Tomas Dvorak of the Czech Republic broke the decathlon world record in Prague yesterday. He compiled 8,994 pointsto beat the mark of 8,891 set by Dan O'Brien in Talence, France in 1992.