Powell Ties World Record in the 100 in 9.77 Seconds

Asafa Powell has a message for Justin Gatlin.

“That’s how you run a world record,” Powell said after he ran 9.77 seconds in the 100 meters at the British Grand Prix on Sunday in Gateshead, England, equaling the world record he holds with Gatlin.

The Jamaican originally ran 9.77 in June 2005 in Athens. Gatlin tied Powell’s record in Qatar on May 12 after his initial mark of 9.76 was changed five days later because of a timing mistake.

Michael Frater of Jamaica finished second in 10.06. Dwain Chambers of Britain, in his first race since his two-year ban for the drug THG ended in November, finished third in 10.07.

Powell had guaranteed victory at the British Grand Prix and wasn’t threatened. He burst out of the blocks, and there wasn’t a runner within two strides of him after 20 meters.

“As I said, I can run as fast as I want, when I want. I told them I would do my best here, and I didn’t let them down,” Powell said.

Gatlin withdrew from the Gateshead meet last weekend after his agent, Renaldo Nehemiah, said there wasn’t a contract for the Olympic champion to run against Powell.

The record-holders will race in the 100 at the London Grand Prix on July 28.

“I’m not disappointed at not breaking the world record; it’s still early season,” Powell said. “If I get the right conditions, I can go 9.70.”

Powell suggested a 9.60 is a possibility this year.

Meanwhile, stadium records fell in the women’s 100, 200 and 800 and the men’s shotput.

Torri Edwards ran a season-best 11.06 in the 100, breaking Katrin Krabbe’s 1989 time by 0.08.

Edwards also finished second in the 200 to fellow American Sanya Richards, whose stadium mark of 22.25 topped the time of 22.47 set by Beverley McDonald in 1999.

In the 800, Janeth Jepkosgei of Kenya won in 1 minute 57.22 seconds, breaking Mary Slaney’s time of 1:57.60 in 1983.

American shotputter Christian Cantwell’s final throw of 73 feet 8 inches beat the stadium record of 71-3 1/4 set by Ulf Timmerman of Germany in 1989.

CYCLING

American Wins Tour de France Tuneup

Levi Leipheimer tuned up for next month’s Tour de France with a victory in the Dauphine Libere in Grenoble, France, becoming the fourth American to win the race.

The rider from Santa Rosa, despite not winning any of the seven stages, finished 1:48 ahead of France’s Christophe Moreau in the overall standings. Austria’s Bernard Kohl was third, 2:51 behind.

Leipheimer, who rides for the European team Gerolsteiner, took the leader’s yellow jersey Thursday and never relinquished it.

The other Americans to win the Dauphine Libere were Greg LeMond (1983), Tyler Hamilton (2000) and Lance Armstrong (2002 and 2003).

Leipheimer finished sixth in the Tour de France last year. In 2005, he also won the Tour of Germany and was third in the Dauphine Libere. He competed at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

The stars of Saturday’s grueling mountain stage disappeared from the top finishers, notably Spain’s Iban Mayo, who finished 15th in the overall standings and 20th in the stage.

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Daniele Contrini of Italy won the second stage of the Tour de Suisse in Einsiedeln, Switzerland, in the Tour de France tuneup. Daniele Bennati took the overall lead.

Contrini won the stage in 3:57:08, 5:02 ahead of Bennati. Bennati won a final sprint to edge Erik Zabel of Germany and claim the leader’s yellow jersey from Tom Boonen of Belgium, who fell eight seconds back overall.

FOOTBALL

Rush Completes an Unlikely AFL Title Run

Matt D’Orazio passed for six touchdowns and ran for two more, and the Chicago Rush completed an unlikely run to the Arena Football League championship by beating the Orlando Predators, 69-61, before 13,476 fans in Las Vegas in the 20th ArenaBowl.

The Rush won three consecutive road playoff games to reach the ArenaBowl.

PRO BASKETBALL

NBA Union Chief Dismisses HGH Testing

The executive director of the union that represents NBA players said he won’t agree to blood tests for human growth hormone.

“My guys are tested enough,” Billy Hunter told Bloomberg News. “All these problems seem to be initiated from what’s happening in baseball.”

Human growth hormone, or HGH, is among the substances banned by the NBA, which subjects its players to four random drug tests a season.

There is not a reliable urine test for HGH. A blood test is required to detect added HGH.

NBA Commissioner David Stern said recently that he’s committed to a fair testing system for his players.

The NBA enacted a stricter anti-drug policy in the labor contract that took effect this season.

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The Portland Trail Blazers will not discipline forward Zach Randolph for his involvement in a speed-racing incident in downtown Portland, the team said.

Randolph was in the passenger seat of a car he owns when Taquan Portis, 22, was cited early Thursday for racing and other traffic violations.

Police found two loaded handguns, but Randolph was not cited because he has a concealed weapons permit.

HORSE RACING

Jockey Is Critically Injured in Fall

Jockey Chance Rollins was critically injured when he fell off his horse at Bay Meadows in San Mateo, Calif., track officials said.

The 36-year-old Rollins suffered severe head injuries in the accident, which occurred at the start of the third race.

Rollins was taken to Stanford Hospital.