 Gatlin is targeting the world 100m record this season |
Olympic and world 100m champion Justin Gatlin got his 2006 season off to a flying start at the Osaka Grand Prix. The American clocked 9.95 seconds in his first individual outing, easily surpassing Commonwealth champion Asafa Powell's world-leading time of 10.03.
Gatlin has already declared that his main aim this summer is to break Powell's world record of 9.77.
He said: "I wanted to go sub-10, and to do that in my first meet sets a good tone for breaking the world record."
World 200m champion Allyson Felix completed a US sprint double in Japan as she won the women's race in 11.11.
The 20-year-old already owns the world-leading mark this year of 11.04.
China's Olympic champion Xiang Liu proved he had shaken off the ankle injury that kept him of the World Indoors by claiming the 110m hurdles in 13.22.
"Coming off the injury I didn't expect such a good time," said Liu. "But I always believe in my ability."
World 400m hurdles champion, American Bershawn Jackson, also won his event in 47.60.
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