Felix wins 400m at Diamond League meet

DOHA, Qatar (AP):

American Allyson Felix edged a hard-charging Amantle Montsho to win the 400 metres in 50.33 seconds at the season-opening Diamond League meet yesterday.

Felix, the reigning three-time world champion in the 200, held on down the stretch to finish 0.08 ahead of Botswana's Montsho.

Patricia Hall of Jamaica was third.

It was the American's 10th win in Qatar, including the world indoor gold last year as part of the United States 1,600 relay.

"It was decent," said Felix, who won the Diamond League title last year in the 200 and 400 and is considering running both events at the Worlds in August.

"I wasn't sure what to expect being it's my first race," she added. "Now I have a place to work from. I felt like we went out slow in the (first) 200. It was a little windy and it really forced us to work home. I felt comfortable in this race and I can definitely push myself a lot more."

Olympic bronze medallist Walter Dix of the US got his season going with a win in the 200, easily beating Femi Ogunode. Dix's time of 20.06 was the best this year and a meet record.

In the 100 hurdles, 2010 winner Lolo Jones came in third behind fellow Americans Kellie Wells and Danielle Carruthers. Wells won in 12.58, 0.11 seconds faster than Jones and the fastest time this year.

Jones, who won the gold in the 60-metre hurdles at the 2010 world indoors, has struggled in recent months with a nerve injury and came into the meet on a three-race losing streak after being beaten last week at the Drake Relays.

She admitted the nerve pain "was a concern" ahead of the race, but felt that she was improving and wasn't going to "beat herself up" over the race.

"It was good. A lot of people ask if I'm disappointed. You know, not really because I'm coming off an injury," she said. "There is definitely huge room for improvements. In the third hurdle we were all kind of there. I was right in the mix. I got high over the fourth hurdle and everyone passed me so I had to play catch-up."

Louis Van Zyl won the 400 hurdles in 48.11 seconds, besting fellow South African Cornel Fredericks by 0.32 seconds. American Bershawn Jackson, last year's winner, placed third.

Jackson, a world champion in 2005, shrugged off the results, saying it was only his second race of the season. He added that he is still aiming for gold at the Worlds and eventually breaking 47 seconds.

"I just started training in January. Them guys are sharp and ready," he said of the South Africans who beat him. "The reason I came here is to just see where I'm at. I feel good. I didn't expect too much. I was happy with my performance and I'll get a lot better as the season goes on."