Jamaica Commits to Better Tests

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Jamaica's sports minister Natalie Neita-Headley has vowed to improve the country's drug testing after a visit from the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The visit follows allegations Jamaica's drug testing regime was inadequate.

Asafa Powell, Veronica Campbell-Brown and Sherone Simpson allrecently tested positive for banned substances.

Neita-Headley said the Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission's (Jadco) two-day meeting with Wada had been "constructive" and "fruitful".

Jadco was criticised by its former executive director Renee Anne Shirley, who had claimed testing in the run-up to the London Olympics was virtually non-existent.

Wada's audit is not expected to be made public until after their conference in Johannesburg, which runs from 12-15 November.

Neita-Headley added: "I am pleased to confirm that the three-member Wada team visited Jamaica and engaged in constructive meetings with Jadco over the past two days.

"They had very fruitful discussions with our team and have committed to working in closer partnership with Jadco to make it not only world class but also best in class.

"There is no doubt that we have done some things well but, like with all other growing organisations, Jadco is only five years young and there are areas that we are seeking to improve."

The agency is increasing staff numbers, with nine new posts likely to be filled within two months in addition to the newly appointed executive director Carey Brown.

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Bolt Withdraws From Monaco Event

Usain Bolt has withdrawn from his final race before London 2012 after suffering a "slight" injury problem.

Bolt, 25, was scheduled to run the 200m at the Diamond League meet in Monaco on 20 July.

But the three-times Olympic gold medallist has withdrawn so he can undergo treatment.

His coach, Glen Mills, said he wanted to "give him sufficient time for treatment and time to train and prepare for the Olympic Games."

Despite the withdrawal, Bolt said he would be in London to defend his three Olympic titles, which also includes the 100m and the 4 x 100m relay gold he won in Beijing four years ago.

The world record-holder had his right hamstring stretched out on the track after finishing second to Yohan Blake in the 200m at the Jamaican Olympic trials last weekend.

He was also beaten by world champion Blake, who won in a time of 9.75 seconds, in the 100m in Kingston.

Blake's time was the fourth fastest in history.

The only people faster in the world are Bolt, who holds the world record of 9.58, American Tyson Gay, who has run 9.69, and Asafa Powell, whose quickest time is 9.72.

"I am happy to have earned my spot on the Jamaican Olympic team despite the challenge," said Bolt, who ran 9.76 in Italy in May.

"I will be in London to defend my titles in the 100, 200 and 4 x 100m.

"I want to congratulate my fellow Racers Track Club Members along with the other athletes who made the team. I thank everyone for their support."

Usain Bolt Wins Olso in 9.79

Usain Bolt was pushed all the way in the 100m before powering home to take victory at the Diamond League in Oslo in a time of 9.79 seconds.

The world record holder finished clear of Asafa Powell, who came second in 9.85 seconds, his best time of 2012.

Team GB's Marlon Devonish finished sixth but Mark Lewis-Franciswas disqualified following a false start.

Jessica Ennis , who was taking part in the 100m hurdles, also paid the price for leaving the blocks early.

The men's 100m was the race everyone was waiting for and it did not disappoint.

Jamaican Powell has history in Oslo after setting the stadium record of 9.72 seconds two years ago. Neither he nor Bolt could emulate that time but Powell did enjoy his best time of the year so far, as the compatriots head into form at the right time.

Powell started the better, as he burst out of the blocks and must have thought, for a split second at least, he had got the better of his countryman, only for Bolt to power through to pip him at the post.

Such was his surge at the end, his momentum almost saw a flower girl sent flying but, still beaming from victory, the Jamaican showed some neat footwork to keep the girl on her feet.

It was a night of mixed emotions for the Britons in action with Lewis-Francis and Ennis disqualified.

Ennis, who was making a rare appearance at the Diamond League, qualified for the final of the 100m hurdles in third place, behind world champion Sally Pearson.

But as she lined up for the final she was too eager to get out of the blocks and was eventually shown a red card.

The race got under way without the heptathlete and as expected Australia's Pearson won in some style, with a time of 12.49 seconds, with Great Britain's Tiffany Porter in third place.

Britain's world 400m champion Dai Greenewas making his first Diamond League appearance of the season and admitted he struggled to keep the pace set by winner Javier Culson.

The Puerto Rican cruised to victory in a time of 47.82 seconds, with Greene in fourth with 48.98.

"I think I went off too fast for where my fitness levels are at the moment," said a disappointed Greene, who has been suffering with a virus.

Nicola Sanders was another who was left disappointed after she came eighth in the women's 400m, some three seconds behind Botswana's Amantel Montsho who made easy work of the field in a time of 49.68.

"I'm really disappointed," said the 29-year-old Brit. "I felt really good in warm-up. It's a shocking time, just wasn't good enough."

Abi Oyepitan finished second in the women's 200m behind Murielle Ahoure, who ran the fifth fastest time in the world this year.

Oyepitan also competed in the 100m but finished in last place, in a time of 11.70. Fellow Brit Montell Douglas finished fifth, while Norwegian Ezinne Okparaebo took first place on home turf.

There was better news in the 800m where Britain took first and second place.

Gareth Warburton set a new Welsh record as he won the race in one minute 44.98 seconds, which is also an Olympic 'A' standard. Guy Learmonth came second, with a personal best of 1:47.14.

Gatlin Claims Doha Diamond League

World indoor champion Justin Gatlin staked his claim as a contender for the Olympic 100m with victory in Doha's Diamond League meeting in 9.87 seconds.

The American overhauled Asafa Powell in the final 30m to edge out the Jamaican by one hundredth of a second.

Olympic champion Usain Bolt opened his 2012 campaign with a run of 9.82 seconds in Kingston on 5 May.

Gatlin, who won 100m gold at Athens 2004, is eligible for London 2012 after serving a four-year doping ban.

His victory at the Qatar Sports Club marked a return to the venue where he set a new world record in 2006, a mark subsequently wiped from the record books after testing positive for testosterone.

The 30-year-old made his comeback to athletics in 2010 and won 60m gold ahead of Great Britain's Dwain Chambers at the Indoor World Championships in Istanbul in March.

Whether Gatlin gets a chance to compete for a medal at the Olympic Stadium in August is dependent on his performance in the United States trials in Portland which begin on 21 June.

Regardless of his presence, a cast of credible pretenders to Bolt's crown have made their case.

With Commonwealth champion Lerone Clarke finishing third behind Gatlin and Powell in 9.99 seconds, six men have run under 10 seconds already this season.

American Walter Dix, who won bronze in both the 100m and 200m behind Bolt at the Beijing Games, won the event's 200m in 20.02 seconds.

In a field packed with quality, American three-time world champion Allyson Felix trumped the challenge of her Jamaican rivals to win the women's 100m in 10.91 seconds.

Veronica Campbell-Brown and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Olympic champions at 200m and 100m respectively, finished second and third.

Elsewhere in the season's opening elite-level Diamond League meeting, Great Britain's Perri Shakes-Drayton came third in the women's 400m hurdles in a time of 55.25 seconds, behind Jamaica's Olympic champion Melaine Walker in 54.63.

Her compatriot Martyn Rooney finished fourth in the men's 400m in 44.99 seconds, eight tenths of a second off Olympic champion Lashawn Merritt.

Greg Rutherford, who has 2012's world-leading jump at 8.35m, came a disappointing fourth in the men's long jump with a leap of 7.98m behind Russia's Aleksandr Menkov.

But fellow Briton Andrew Osagie ran a personal best of one minute, 44.64 seconds as he finished third in the men's 800m behind Kenyan winner David Rudisha, while Molly Beckwith racked up a season's best of 1:59.51 as she came home sixth in the women's 800m.

Kate Dennison was fourth in the pole vault after clearing 4.50m, while Vivian Cheruiyot beat Meseret Defar in the women's 3,000m.

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Powell to Meet Bolt in Rome

Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell will take on compatriot Usian Bolt at the Golden Gala in Rome in May, meeting organisers have confirmed.

The pair will go head-to-head in the 100m at the Stadio Olimpico on 31 May.

Powell, the former 100m world record holder, is expected to be one of Bolt's main rivals at the London Olympics.

Bolt, the Olympic champion over 100m and 200m, had already confirmed he will race over the shorter distance in Rome and Oslo on 7 June.

Powell, 29, made his British indoor debut at the Birmingham Grand Prix on Saturday, but was upstaged in the 60m by compatriots Lerone Clarke and Nesta Carter, who forced Powell to settle for third.

Powell's personal best in the 100m is 9.72, with Bolt still holding the world record of 9.58 - set at the World Championships in Berlin in 2009.

Powell Predicts Jamaican Sweep

Asafa Powell won the 50m at the US Open - then predicted a Jamaican clean sweep of the 100m medals at London 2012.

Powell has run the most sub 10-second 100m races in history, while Usain Bolt is the world record holder and Yohan Blake ranked world number one.

"Yes, it is very possible. Surely it can be done," said Powell after clocking 5.64 seconds on Saturday. "We have some amazing runners."

He beat compatriot Nesta Carter (5.67) and American Trell Kimmons (5.68).

Justin Gatlin, also from America, finished fourth (5.71) in the rarely contested event.

The world record - 5.56 seconds - is held jointly by Canada's Donovan Bailey and American Maurice Greene.

"Nothing's ever certain, not even for Usain Bolt," added Powell, who was making his first indoor appearance since 2004.

"To run this well this early in the season is very promising. I'm very fit right now. But I'm still not fast."

Powell, the former world 100m record holder, is due to make his British indoor debut at the Birmingham Grand Prix on 18 February.

The 29-year-old, who will be based in Birmingham with the rest of the Jamaica squad ahead of the Olympics, has a 100m personal best of 9.72 seconds.