Spearmon shocks Gay

American Wallace Spearmon (15) on way to winning the men's 100m title at the Golden Grand Prix in Shanghai
yesterday.Photo: AFP

Wallace Spearmon upset rusty speed king Tyson Gay in the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix Friday while superstar hurdler Liu Xiang also crashed to defeat, fading to third behind Cuba's Dayron Robles.
World 100m and 200m champion Gay blasted out of the blocks and was leading at 80m before US teammate Spearmon found another gear to edge him on the line in 9.96 seconds.
Gay, a training partner and close friend of Spearmon's, clocked 10.02 with Jamaica's Michael Frater third.
"I'm very excited about this performance. Last year I ran a personal best here and this year I've done the same," said an ecstatic Spearmon, who is better known for his 200m exploits.
Gay admitted he had been resting since the world championships in Osaka last month and was not in top shape as he winds down his season.
"Wallace Spearmon ran a great race. I was just a little bit rusty," said the 25-year-old.
"I haven't done a lot of training, I've been resting and relaxing."
Asafa Powell, who set a new 100m world record of 9.74sec in Italy earlier this month, said ahead of the race that he was "not allowed" to face arch-rival Gay here in a rematch of their world championship final.
Instead, the Jamaican ran the 200m and blitzed the field in 20 seconds flat, just shy of his personal best. America's Rodney Martin was second and Jamaica's Christopher Williams was third.
Powell though was not happy with his race.
"I'm tired because of the jet lag, that's why I didn't get a good time today," he said.
Shanghai-native Liu was appearing before his home crowd for the first time since winning world championship gold and was greeted by rapturous applause.
Liu was desperate to win but nerves got the better of him and he had a terrible start.
He was unable to make up ground on Robles who won in 13.01 with American Anwar Moore second and Liu struggling to third in 13.21, well outside his world record of 12.88.
"It's the result of my irregular training after the world championships," said Liu. "Robles has already reached a level where 13.3 is normal for him. He's in the peak of his season.
"Everybody wants to win the gold medal, I just tried my best."
The untouchable Jeremy Wariner cruised through his 400m race in 44.02, crossing the line more than one second ahead of second-placed US teammate Angelo Taylor with Canada's Tyler Christopher a distant third.
Ethiopian distance legend Kenenisa Bekele, more often seen running the 10,000m or 5,000m, tried his hand at the 1,500m and came second in a personal best time of 3:32.35 behind Kenyan Daniel Kirchirchitr in 3:31.75.
Bahrain's Yusuf Saad Kamel was third.
In the women's 100m, Jamaican world champion Veronica Campbell streaked to the line in 10.90 ahead of Sanya Richards of the United States (10.97) and fellow American Carmelita Jeter (11.09).
World champion Jana Rawlinson of Australia continued her stunning form after her break to have a baby, winning the 400m hurdles in 54.42 ahead of Britain's Natasha Danvers-Smith and American Tiffany Ross-Williams.
Ethiopia's world 5,000m champion Meseret Defar was also on the podium, claiming the race in 14:49.06 ahead of Kenya's Liney Masai.
Britain's 400m world champion Christine Ohuruogu easily crossed the line first in the one-lap race here in 50.57 ahead of Jamaica's Shericka Williams and Ilona Usovich of Belarus.
In the women's 100m hurdles, evergreen American double world champion Michelle Perry won in 12.65.
Pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva cleared 4.83m but was well off her 5.01m world record.