Stuttgart GER - Liu Xiang stole the show on day one of the fourth edition of the IAAF World Athletics Final (WAF), when sprinting to a winning 12.93 seconds, a WAF record in the men’s 110m Hurdles on the brand new green track of the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium in front of enthusiastic crowd of over 29,000.

The other headliner was Golden League Jackpot winner Asafa Powell who took a very close 100 metres sprint victory in 9.89 which closed-out an entertaining first day programme.

Banner headlines for Chinese victory

Liu Xiang’s victory was the third fastest time of his career, and his triumph triggered the waving of dozens of huge national flags by the hundreds of Chinese fans who had stationed themselves at the end of the 100m straight.

The Olympic champion and World record holder has only run faster when setting his two world records, in Lausanne this summer (12.88) and when taking his Olympic crown in Athens (12.91) in 2004.

The stadium, where at the 1993 World Championships Colin Jackson had set the original 12.91 World record (12.91) which the Chinese star later equalled, also inspired young cuban sensation Dayron Robles who tied Anier Garcia’s national record with 13.00, and so edged out four-time World champion Allen Johnson who capped his successful second part of 2006 with 13.01, a new seasonal best.

“The fantastic crowd, the nice atmosphere gave me a lot of confidence,” said Liu Xiang whose start was electric, a reaction time of 0.108.

“I knew I was in good shape, so the time does not surprise me. The number of Chinese supporters in the stadium was a nice surprise.”

Close call for Powell

Powell broke the tape in 9.89 (a WAF 100m record) in a close race against World Indoor 60m champion Leonard Scott (9.91) and Tyson Gay (9.92). Powell dipped under 10 seconds for a 12th time this season and extended his winning streak to twenty-two consecutive wins (heats included).

“I was concentrating on not getting the second false start, so I stayed in my blocks a little too long,” said the World record holder. “I felt dead in the first half of the race, but then I told myself that I can run as fast as any of these guys, and then I picked up my stride and I came through in the end.”

Kikaya pursues Wariner

Jeremy Wariner, who won a $249,999 share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot with his six-out-of-six winning streak last week in Berlin, needed a new WAF record of 44.02 to edge out Congalese Gary Kikaya, who smashed the long standing African record of Innocent Egbunike (44.17) with a 44.10 run in second place. The fast Stuttgart track produced a new PB for former World junior champion Lashawn Merritt who ran 44.14 in third place in one of the deepest 400 metres races of the season.

“It is a great way to finish my season,” said Wariner. “Kikaya and Merritt have been on my tail all season and today they dug deep and ran well. I kept an eye on Merritt and saw Kikaya coming strong at the end but I focused till through the line.”

Another knife edge battle between Dibaba and Defar

Stuttgart added a new chapter to the epic battle between Ethiopian distance running stars Tirunesh Dibaba and Meseret Defar. This time Dibaba made up for last week’s defeat in Berlin by Defar which cost her an additional $125,000 Golden League Jackpot bonus in a photo-finish sprint to the finish-line more reminiscent of a 100m sprint race than a 5000m encounter. Dibaba edged out Defar by just one hundredth of a second (16:04.77 to 16:04.78).

“God was with me helping to win the sprint against Meseret,” said Dibaba. “After Berlin I was not afraid of her and another possible sprint-finish.”

Felix comeback

World 200m champion Allyson Felix came back after a difficult season ruined by a hamstring injury notching up her second WAF title win in the women’s 200 metres in 22.11 (a WAF record and the second fastest time in the world in 2006) which equalled her PB in one of the most talented fields assembled this season.

400 metres Golden League Jackpot winner Sanya Richards came in second, smashing her PB to 22.17 ahead of 400 metres race tomorrow, and world seasonal leader Sherone Simpson was third in 22.22.

“I had a lot of fun today. I knew that I could beat Sanya and Sherone and I am very happy I did. Running my PB is amazing,” said Felix.

Tight High Jump

As has occurred in many competitions this summer today’s women’s High Jump was very close. It was a great day for World champion and WAF defending champion Kajsa Bergqvist of Sweden who took a countback win over European champion Tia Hellebaut of Belgium at 1.98m.

Heidler keeps Germany happy

In the opening event of the day, Betty Heidler thrilled German fans with a new meeting record of 75.44m in the women’s Hammer Throw which capped her season which had been highlighted by a 76.55 national record earlier this summer.

“With 30,000 dollars I will buy some property. If I win next year I will buy the neighbouring property as well,” said Heidler.

A new championship record also fell in the men’s Discus Throw where Olympic, World and European champion Virgilijus Alekna of Lithuania threw 68.63m to beat his Estonian rival Gerd Kanter (68.47).

Olympic champion Tatyana Lebedeva leapt to a winning 6.92m in the women’s Long Jump, and a 5.82m vault by Australian Paul Burgess won a close Pole Vault contest on countback over German Tim Lobinger and Toby Stevenson of the USA.

Good results also came via Reese Hoffa’s 21.05m in the men’s Shot Put and Barbora Spotakova’s 66.21m (a new Czech Republic record) in the women’s Javelin Throw which beat German star Steffi Nerius (65.06 in second) and Christina Scherwin (new Danish record with 64.83).

Among the athletes who defended last year’s WAF titles were world seasonal leader Lashinda Demus from the USA who clinched the women’s 400 metres Hurdles in 53.42 which was just five hundredths of a second slower than her own championship record set last year.

Another of last year’s WAF winners was swiss-based Maryam Yussuf Jamal from Bahrain who crossed the 1500m finish-line in 4:01.58 defeating Russians Tatyana Tomashova and Yelena Soboleva.