Powell powers to third 100m win

Powell also won in London and Stockholm this month

Jamaica's Asafa Powell won his third consecutive 100m race of the season at the Monaco Grand Prix on Tuesday in his last major meeting before the Olympics.

The former world record holder clocked 9.82 seconds, his best time this year.

Only compatriot Usain Bolt, who took the world record from Powell on 31 May, and American world champion Tyson Gay have run faster in 2008.

Neither Bolt nor Gay were in Tuesday's race where American Darvis Patton finished second in 9.98.

Powell's compatriot and training partner Nesta Carter took third place in 10.02.

"I still have work to do on my finish and I can do better than that," said Powell.

606: DEBATE Give your reaction to Powell's win

"I'm not really surprised by my time. There was no wind at all and with a slight headwind, it might have been faster. I'm feeling well, fresh."

When asked whether he thought he could recapture the world record of 9.72 seconds set by Bolt in New York, he said: "I believe I can."

Jamaica's Kerron Stewart won the women's 100m in 10.94, outsprinting compatriot Sherone Simpson (10.95).

American Torri Edwards, the leading performer in 2008 with 10.78, was third in 11.02.

Britain's Martin Rooney profited from the absence of US 400m stars Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merritt to win in a personal best of 44.72 seconds.

In the men's 1,500m, Daniel Kipchirchir Komen set a year's best of three minutes 31.49 seconds, narrowly beating countryman Shedrack Kibet Korir, who came second in 3:31.94.

In the women's 400m hurdles, Jamaica's Melaine Walker held off American Tiffany Ross-Williams to clock a year's best of 53.48 seconds.

Ross-Williams finished a close second in 53.54 with compatriot Sheena Tosta third in 53.58.

Portugal's Naide Gomes also set a year's best in the women's long jump, with a leap of 7.12m, eight centimetres further than the previous mark she shared with Russia's Lyudmila Kolchanova.