Jamaica's Asafa Powell on Tuesday ran the second fastest ever time in the 100m in clocking 9.72sec at the track meeting in Lausanne.

Powell's time was 0.03sec outside the 9.69 world mark which compatriot and triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt set at the Beijing Games on August 16.

On that occasion, Bolt had shaven down his original mark of 9.72 set on May 31 in New York.

Powell shot out of the blocks and quickly sped ahead of Walter Dix, Olympic bronze medallist and who timed 9.92sec.

Powell, who could only manage fifth in Beijing, said on arrival in Lausanne on Monday that he was on form and hoped to beat his personal mark of 9.74sec, set on September 7 last year at Rieti in Italy and which at the time was a world record.

"I came here full of confidence," he said moments after his win. "The track is fabulous and the fans just great."

Last Sunday Powell had timed 9.87sec in rainy conditions at Gateshead in northern England while on Friday at the IAAF Zurich Golden League meeting in Zurich Bolt won in 9.83.

AFP

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