Clarke wins 60m again

KARLSRUHE, Germany (CMC):

Kim Collins continued his memorable weekend with a world-leading 60-metre dash in the heats, but Lerone Clarke upstaged him to win the final at the BW-Bank Indoor Meet on Sunday.

Collins had defied Father Time on Saturday to shatter his 60-metre lifetime best, but the 34-year-old from St Kitts & Nevis proved there was still life left in the old man.

He clocked 6.50 seconds to take his qualifying heat and reset the Kittitian national record he had set only 24 hours earlier, and clipped another two hundredths-of-a-second off his personal best.

Collins was not able to repeat his strong performance in the final, however, and Clarke posted a personal best 6.52 seconds to win the final.

"I'm not surprised that I won," said the Jamaican, whose 6.54 in the preliminary round was also a PB. "Kim Collins ran fast in the heats, but I'm also a good athlete. I ran a PB and I'm very satisfied with everything."

Clarke moved to the front in the second half of the race and defied a stiff challenge from Marc Burns of Trinidad & Tobago, whose 6.56 was a personal best.

Injured

Collins strained a groin muscle halfway through the race and finished fourth (6.64), one hundredths-of-a-second ahead of Emanuele Di Gregorio of Italy.

Collins is reportedly heading back to his training base in The Netherlands to seek treatment for his injury.

American Mike Rodgers, one of the favourites, was disqualified for a false start.

Vonette Dixon, another Jamaican, clocked 7.98 to finish third in the women's 60m hurdles, which was won by American Kellie Wells in a world-leading time of 7.82, with Christina Vukicevic of Norway running a personal best 7.90 to come second.

Jamaican Dwight Thomas ran 7.77 to finish fifth in the men's 60m hurdles, won by American David Oliver in 7.40 seconds.