• Diamond League, Oregon

Mullings runs 9.80 to send message to Bolt and Gay

Britain's Greg Rutherford took victory in the long jump © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Jamaican sprinter Mullings handed life ban
  
• News: Bullish Bolt determined to show old speed
  
• News: Farah shatters British & European record
  
• News: Gay runs fastest 100m time this year
  
• Profile: Tyson Gay

The relatively unheralded Jamaican Steve Mullings won the 100 metres in a blistering time of 9.80 seconds at the latest Diamond League meeting in Oregon on Saturday.

Mere hours after Tyson Gay threw down the gauntlet to Usain Bolt with a rapid run of 9.79s at a low-key race in Florida, Bolt's compatriot Mullings sprinted to victory in Eugene in a time that suggests he too could be a major contender at the World Championships later in the season.

American Michael Rodgers was second in 9.85s, with another Jamaican, Nesta Carter, finishing third in a time of 9.92s. The race was notable for the fact that all eight participants had previously run sub-ten second times in their career - although the only Olympic champion among them, Justin Gatlin, could only finish sixth on his return to racing in a time of 9.95s.

Elsewhere, Carmelita Jeter emerged as the class of the field in an equally hotly-contested women's 100m, eventually winning in a 10.70s time that is the fastest so far this season.

Marshevet Myers came second in a time of 10.86s, ahead of former Olympic silver medallist Kerron Stewart. Reigning Olympic gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price could only just slip inside the 11-second barrier to finish a disappointing fourth.

Of the British athletes at the event, it was undoubtedly Greg Rutherford who had the most successful time - leaping to victory in the long jump thanks to an impressive effort of 8.32m.

That was enough for him to edge out South Africa's Godfrey Mokoena by a single centimetre, although the distance will not count as a new British record due to an excessive helping wind.

Other British performances were less successful - Andy Turner managed a respectable but unremarkable time of 10.33s in a 110m hurdles won by David Oliver in an impressive 12.94s, while Perri-Shakes Drayton will be encouraged by her fifth-place finish in the 400m hurdles in a time of 55.36s.

Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya returned to racing after a controversial IAAF gender investigation to finish second to Kenia Sinclair, while in other events there were wins for Walter Dix (200m), Angelo Taylor (400m), Ezekiel Kemboi (300m steeplechase) and Vivian Cheruiyot (women's 5000m).

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.