Diamond League - 100m runners' season bests

Nickel Ashmeade (Jamaica) - 9.93 secs

Michael Frater (Jamaica) - 9.94 secs

Justin Gatlin (United States) - 9.80 secs

Tyson Gay (United States) - 9.86 secs

Trell Kimmons (United States) - 10.02 secs

Christophe Lemaitre (France) - 10.04 secs

Calesio Newman (United States) - 10.07 secs

Michael Rodgers (United States) - 9.94 secs

Richard Thompson (Trinidad) - 9.96 secs

London 2012: Tyson Gay predicts wide open 100m

USA sprinter Tyson Gay believes any of the main contenders in the 100m can achieve gold at London 2012.

Gay ran 100m in 9.86 seconds at the US trials - the same as Usain Bolt did at the Jamaican trials, but 0.11 seconds behind Yohan Blake's trial time.

"I think it's fair to say everyone is on the same playing field right now," said Gay.

The 29-year-old will run against Games team-mate Justin Gatlin at Friday's Diamond League meeting in Paris.

2004 Olympic champion Gatlin, who missed the 2008 Games due to a doping ban, beat Gay at the US trials with a time of 9.80 seconds - the third best time in the world this year.

But the pair were separated by just 0.06 seconds, leading Gay to believe the 100m event could be very competitive at London 2012.

"Everyone is running almost the same time. Yohan has slightly separated himself from the rest of the field but besides that I think everyone is pretty even," he said.

Blake ran 9.75 seconds at the Jamaican Olympic trials, shocking world record holder and current Olympic champion Usain Bolt.

Blake is also the current 100m world champion, winning at Daegu 2011 after Bolt was disqualified for a false start.

"Bolt took his losses but he's shown that he's been able to bounce back, just like he fought hard last year and he bounced back on the 200 so I think it's fair game," said Gay.

"I think Yohan is probably in some of the best shape of his life.

"For him to beat Usain Bolt and some of the other competitors in that race shows that he's serious about this."

Gay and Gatlin will be the headline pair of the 100m at the Diamond League meeting in France, with both expected to make the final at London 2012.

Six of the nine runners in Paris have clocked under 10.00 seconds this season, while only Calesio Newman of the United States has failed to run under the 10 second mark in his career.

LONDON 2012: JUSTIN GATLIN says he has 'more left in the tank'

Justin Gatlin insists he has "got more left in the tank", despite clocking 9.8 seconds in the US Olympic trials' 100m.

The American sprinter takes on compatriot Tyson Gay on Friday in Paris at the latest Diamond League event.

Gatlin, 30, won gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics but was later handed a four-year ban for a doping offence he has always strenuously denied.

"I'm more focussed, more determined and I'm wiser now," said Gatlin, who won the recent trials in Eugene, Oregon.

"Eight years ago, it was more of a dream that was accomplished [to become Olympic champion] so now I need to accomplish this mission."

Gatlin, who beat Gay by only 0.06 secs at the trials, always maintained his innocence after testing positive for excessive testosterone at the 2006 Kansas Relays.

"I have never knowingly used any banned substance, nor have I allowed anyone to administer one to me," he said at the time of his appeal.

MICHAEL PHELPS READY TO GO FOR ANOTHER 8 GOLD MEDALS AFTER WIN 100M BUTTERFLY

Michael Phelps' Olympic program is set. He'll be going for another eight gold medals.

He's not the only one who'll be busy in London. Get ready to see a lot of Missy Franklin.

And how `bout Anthony Ervin! After eight years away from swimming, he's going back to Olympics, too.

Phelps wrapped up another stellar week at the U.S. trials Sunday night, rallying to win the 100-meter butterfly and secure his spot in five individual races at the Olympics. Throw in the three relays, and that adds up to eight.

Again.

"I guess that's OK," Phelps said nonchalantly.

Franklin will have four individual races in London after capping her week with a dominating win in the 200 backstroke. She's expected to swim all three relays, as well, setting her up to become the first U.S. woman to swim seven events in a single games.

Uhh, make that the first female. She's still a girl, a 17-year-old who'll be a high school senior in the fall. But first, she's got some important business this summer: the Olympics.

"I can't believe I have seven events," Franklin said. "It's so overwhelming but so exciting. The whole week went really, really well."

LONDON 2012: JUSTIN GATLIN says he has 'more left in the tank'

Justin Gatlin insists he has "got more left in the tank", despite clocking 9.8 seconds in the US Olympic trials' 100m.

The American sprinter takes on compatriot Tyson Gay on Friday in Paris at the latest Diamond League event.

Gatlin, 30, won gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics but was later handed a four-year ban for a doping offence he has always strenuously denied.

"I'm more focussed, more determined and I'm wiser now," said Gatlin, who won the recent trials in Eugene, Oregon.

"Eight years ago, it was more of a dream that was accomplished [to become Olympic champion] so now I need to accomplish this mission."

Gatlin, who beat Gay by only 0.06 secs at the trials, always maintained his innocence after testing positive for excessive testosterone at the 2006 Kansas Relays.

"I have never knowingly used any banned substance, nor have I allowed anyone to administer one to me," he said at the time of his appeal.

MICHAEL JOHNSON'S GOLDEN CAREER

• Four-time Olympic champion
• Became the first male athlete to win Olympic gold in both the 400m and 200m in 1996
• The only male athlete to successfully defend the 400m Olympic title
• Still holds the 400m world record (43.18 secs) set in 1999
• Retired from athletics in 2001

USAIN BOLT COULD RUN 100M IN 9.4 SECONDS, SAYS MICHAEL JOHNSON

Four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson believes Usain Bolt can run 100m in 9.4 seconds - but only if the Jamaican refines his sprinting style.

The 25-year-old broke his own world record with a time of 9.58 secs at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin

Johnson said: "Bolt could absolutely run faster, but it would take a tremendous commitment on his part to do a complete overhaul of his technique."

But the American still thinks Bolt is favourite to retain his Olympic titles.

"He could probably run 9.4 seconds," added 44-year-old Johnson, who won gold in Barcelona in 1992, did the 200m and 400m double in Atlanta four years later, and claimed another gold in the 2000 Sydney Games.

"But he would have to do some major training and adjustments in the way that he runs."

Bolt, who will also be defending his 200m and 4x100m Olympic titles in London, announced on Thursday he was going to withdraw from the Diamond League meeting on 20 July after suffering a "slight" injury problem.

The Monaco event had been scheduled to be his final race before London

EUROPEAN GP: Fernando Alonso wins brilliantly in Valencia

 

Fernando Alonso became the first man to win two races this year with a spectacular victory in the European GP.

The Spaniard won his home race at Valencia after a series of overtakes and Sebastian Vettel's retirement.

Lewis Hamilton was set to finish second after Romain Grosjean's retirement, but crashed out with three laps remaining.

The McLaren driver was pitched into the barriers after a tussle with Williams's Pastor Maldonado, handing second to Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen.

Alonso started 11th and fought his way up to fourth place before a safety car was deployed.

He gained third after a pit-stop problem for Lewis Hamilton, passed Romain Grosjean on the restart and saw leader Vettel retire with alternator failure on lap 35.

Battling fading tyres, Hamilton was passed by Raikkonen before Maldonado crashed into the side of him having rejoined the race track after running wide trying to pass the Briton around the outside.

Grosjean retired from second with 16 laps to go with alternator failure - the same problem that caused Vettel to retire.

The frantic action promoted Mercedes's Michael Schumacher to third place - the first podium since his comeback in 2010 - and Red Bull's Mark Webber to fourth from 19th on the grid.

It was by far the most exciting race the Valencia street circuit has ever produced and it was won by a top-drawer performance from Alonso