Powell sets fastest time in world

World record holder Asafa Powell made a stunning start to the outdoor season by running the fastest 100metres in the world this year at the Artur Takac meeting in Belgrade.

The Commonwealth champion showed he has covered from a knee injury which delayed the start to his summer track campaign by clocking a time of 9.97seconds to narrowly better the mark of 9.98secs set by Derrick Adkins, of the Bahamas, in California last month.

The Jamaican fulfilled his pre-race promise to make his traditional fast start to the season by breaking 10seconds as he powered ahead of a talented field.

Churandy Martina, of the Netherlands Antilles, took second place in 10.11 with Powell’s training partner Michael Frater third in 10.19.

The 2005 world silver medallist just edged out Mark Lewis-Francis who matched the Caribbean star’s time with a season’s-best mark.

Jason Gardener, in his first race since claiming a fourth successive European Indoor 60m title in March, placed fifth in a time of 10.28.