Home-grown hero Liu Xiang disappointed an expectant crowd after losing the 110m hurdles, while world 100m champion Tyson Gay also failed to deliver at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix on Friday.

World and Olympic champion Liu, who was seeking a hat trick of wins at the meeting, started slowly and could not make up the pace, settling for third, with a time of 13.21 seconds.

In-form Cuban teenager Dayron Robles - who smashed his personal-best time with 12.92 at last weekend's IAAF World Athletics Final - was well ahead of the pack with a time of 13.01, followed by the United States' Anwar Moore.

Liu, the world record holder, played down his defeat.

"There was actually no pressure on me. It's just a race and that's it," he said. "Anyway, I'm not at my best after the Osaka world championships. I was out of breath on the finishing the line. I can not complain too much."

Liu refused to comment on Robles' potential challenge at the Beijing Olympics.

"He ran his race today. But I don't know who will be my biggest rival in Beijing next year. I just have to do my best no matter who it is."

In the men's 100m, American Wallace Spearmon finished with a time of 9.96, surprising triple world champion Gay, who was 0.06 seconds behind. Michael Frater, of Jamaica, was third with 10.07.

The US sprinter had been expecting a challenge from archrival and 100m world record holder Asafa Powell, from Jamaica, who chose to compete in the 200m instead.

Powell, who did not contest the 200m at the world championships but was outsprinted by Gay in the 100m, proved he could be a contender at next year's Olympic Games after a comfortable win of 20 seconds. Rodney Martin from the US and Christopher Williams, from Jamaica, were, respectively, second and third.

High-profile sprinter and 400m world champion Jeremy Wariner, US, powered his way to a convincing victory in 44.02 seconds, followed by American Angelo Taylor and Tyler Christopher of Canada.

Wariner has been tipped as the likeliest person to beat American legend Michael Johnson's world record.

"Each time I run I want to break the record set by Michael Johnson. That is my goal. But I have no idea when I will break it. Maybe next year at the Olympics. I will try to find reasons why I haven't done it and improve them," Wariner said.

In the women's competitions, two world champions in the 100m - Veronica Campbell of Jamaica and Lauryn Williams of the US - with a track record of close races dueled it out.

Campbell came out on top yesterday with an easy run in 10.90 and American Sanya Richards took a surprising silver with 10.97. The US' Carmelita Jeter was third and Williams came a disappointing fourth.

Christine Ohuruogu stormed to a 400 m victory in 50.57 seconds, while Jamaican Shericka Williams and Ilona Usovich of Belarus came second and third, with times of 50.98 and 51.35.

Other big-name victories included World Athletics Final champion Daniel Kipchirchir Komen of Kenya in the 1500m; world champion Donald Thomas in the high jump; world champion Michelle Perry of US in the women's 100m hurdles; Australian Jana Rawlinson in the women's 400m hurdles; and invincible pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia.

(China Daily September 29, 2007)