By Matt Flemming
Staff Reporter

American Tyson Gay won the men's 100 meters at the Daegu Pre-Championship Meeting, Thursday night, edging rival Asafa Powell of Jamaica.

Gay set a new competition record, reaching the finish line in 9.94 seconds, the first sub 10-second time on Korean soil since the 1988 Olympics.

Powell was close to Gay at the line, finishing in 10 seconds to take silver.

Gay's run was significantly slower than the 9.69 he ran in Shanghai last week, the second fastest time ever in the men's 100 meters.

While attendance at the massive Daegu Stadium was sparse, those who did show up saw the showdown they were anticipating between the world's second and third fastest men, who surged ahead of the field.

Some had hoped that the Korean record of 10.34 in the men's 100 meters would fall but Lim Hee-nam, the fastest of three Koreans competing, posted a time of 10.75.

However, Korea did walk away with one gold medal ― Jung Soon-ok won the women's long jump with a jump of 6.52 meters.

The other star attraction at the meeting, Yelena Isinbayeva, also didn't disappoint, soaring to a win the women's pole vault.

The Russian two-time Olympic gold medalist got the win with a vault of 4.60 meters.

Emerging sprinter Carmelita Jeter of the United States blew away the competition in the women's 100 meters.

She set a competition record of 10.83, and was well ahead of the pack.

The American was a bronze medalist at the world championships in Berlin this year and posted the second fastest time ever, 10.63, in Shanghai last week.

Athens Olympic gold medalist Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic dominated the men's 400-meter hurdles, finishing in a time of 48.94.

In an exciting race in the women's 1,500 meters, Kenyan Nancy Longat took the lead after Mardrea Hyman of Jamaican suffered an injury and had to quit, and ran in a gold medal time of 4:06.

Among the other winners, Jennifer Meadows of Great Britain won the 800 meters; Finland's Teemu Wirkkala won the men's javelin; Yusuf Saad Kamel of Bahrain won the men's 800 meters; Jamaican Dwight Thomas won the men's 110-meter hurdles; Bahamian Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie grabbed the women's 200 meters; American Wallace Spearman won the men's 200 meters; and Jamaican Brigitte Foster Hylton won the women's 110-meter hurdles.

mattflemming@koreatimes.co.kr