Powell cruises to 100m win in Oslo

(epa)

Asafa Powell continued his impressive early-season form by cruising to 100 metres victory in 9.72sec at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Oslo last night.

The 27-year-old was in a class of his own in the Norwegian capital, posting a fourth win in the last five years on the Bislett Stadium track on the third leg of the money-spinning world tour.

However, a wind just a tenth of a second over the permitted level prevented the Jamaican from matching the personal best he achieved almost two years ago in Lausanne. And Powell is positive there is even better to come as the summer progresses.

"I like the feeling to see 9.72 on the scoreboard," said Powell, whose quickest legal time this year of 9.83sec came last Thursday in Ostrava after the start had been delayed for 20 minutes because of torrential rain.

Powell, who convincingly defeated Trinidad's Richard Thompson and Churandy Martina of the Dutch Antilles, continued: "I didn't feel the wind. I thought it would be legal."

The former world record holder insisted: "I had a pretty comfortable race tonight. It was good start, a good finish and I'm ready to meet anybody now."

The Jamaican, who will continue his Diamond League programme in Rome next Thursday, added: "Two Diamond League wins... I hope more will come."

David Rushida broke one of the meeting's oldest records, smashing the 800m mark of 1min 42.33sec set here by Sebastian Coe 31 years ago.

The 21-year-old Kenyan, in his first encounter this year with the equally talented Abubaker Kaki of Sudan, won the hotly contested two-lap contest by just 0.19sec in a world-leading time of 1:42.04.