The Island, Thursday 18th May, 2006 Timing farce strips Gatlin of world record PARIS (AFP) - A timing mis- where the American claimed take has stripped world and both the 100m and 200m titles. Olympic champion Justin Gatlin After Gatlin’s Doha run, of a stand-alone world record Powell, the recently-crowned time in the men’s 100m, world Commonwealth champion, athletics ruling body announced vowed to reclaim the record. Wednesday. “He has borrowed the record. Gatlin was timed at 9.76secs I will get it back. I am capable of at a IAAF Grand Prix meeting in running 9.60,” said Powell who Doha on May 12, a mark which has already run 9.95 this sea- was one-hundredths of a second son. faster than the existing world Powell on Sunday reacted record set by Jamaica’s Asafa strongly to a report indicating Powell in last June in Athens. that Gatlin might not take him on But in a statement, the IAAF at the June 11 Grand Prix in said that the actual timing for the Gateshead, England. American was 9.766secs which But Gatlin’s agent, ex-hur- meant it should have been dles great Renaldo Nehemiah, rounded up to 9.77 and not 9.76. insisted Tuesday that Gatlin “The IAAF has just been would be at Gateshead. informed by Tissot Timing of an Gatlin’s coach, Trevor error in the reading of the result. Graham, told the Jamaican “Therefore, Gatlin’s time will Observer on Monday that the now be adjusted to 9.77, and Gateshead clash was on shaky pending ratification, will equal grounds given the possible cold the previous 100m world record conditions. of Asafa Powell set in 2005,” the When Powell set the record IAAF statement said. last year, he bettered the time of The news sets the scene for 9.79secs set in 1999 by a future mouth-watering show- American Maurice Greene. down between Gatlin and The 9.78sec set by Greene’s Powell, although it has been compatriot Tim Montgomery in notoriously difficult for event Paris in 2002 was wiped off the organisers to pin down their books after he was suspended in agents and get the two sprinters the wake of the BALCO doping on the same track. scandal. The last time the speed Gatlin’s previous best of kings met on the track was at the 9.85secs was set when he London Grand Prix last July. picked up Olympic gold in SPAIN : Real Madrid’s French Zinedine Zidane is seen during his last game for Real Madrid against Sevilla at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Sevilla, on Tuesday. Gatlin cruised to victory as Athens in 2004, three-hundreths Sevilla won 4-3. - AFP Photo. Powell pulled up with a groin of a second quicker than the injury that kept him out of the time he recorded when winning Warm-up game against Sussex begins today world championships in Helsinki the world title last year. Germany fears terrorist risk to 21 World Cup matches No room for Jayasuriya BERLIN, May 17, 2006 (AFP) - stressed that it has no indication German security authorities of a credible terrorist threat to the Rex Clementine reporting from Hove today. believe 21 World Cup matches 64-match tournament which will Following the fighting display While 21-year-old Upul Tharanga are at high risk of terrorist attack, take place in 12 cities. exhibited by the young Sri Lankan side has cemented his place in the side, still Stern magazine reported on But the BKA is concerned that during the first Test Match at Lord’s, it a place for an opener is vacant due to Wednesday. looks like the tourists will stick to the the unavailability of regular with security set to be tight at sta- The assessment compiled by original squad named for the tour of . Either Jehan diums, extremists may turn their England for the rest of the series leav- Mubarak or Michael Van Dort has an Germany’s Federal Crime Office, attention to the so-called Public ing out veteran . opportunity to claim the vacant posi- known as the BKA, said Islamic Viewing Areas where fans can Jayasuriya was not considered for the tion. extremists posed a particular follow matches on big screens. four-day warm-up game against They will get another opportunity danger, according to the maga- Some politicians said they Sussex that begins at the Sussex here at Hove and the player who does zine. saw nothing new in the report. The tournament-opening County ground here at Hove well will certainly be in the final 11 for the tourists ahead of the remaining Sanga won’t be keeping. He’s got a “The internal picture painted match between Germany and Birmingham in ten days time. two Tests and is keen to keep huge workload as a wicketkeeper bats- by the BKA doesn’t surprise me. “Mubarak was given the oppor- Costa Rica in Munich on June 9, the momentum going. Sussex are on man and Prasanna has got an opportu- It corresponds to our previous tunity to open at Lord’s and he’ll the final in Berlin on July 9 and top of the county points table and nity to prove himself. He has worked assessment,” said Ingo Wolf, the get a chance here too. Michael Van although they are without any big hard and improved over the last few any match involving the United interior minister in the regional Dort will get an opportunity as names they have done well in the years and he could come in as a spe- States were considered the top state of North Rhine-Westphalia. well and there’s an opportunity for domestic competition so far.Pakistanis cialist wicketkeeper or wicketkeeper targets, the report said. these young players to grab one of Rana Naved and Mustaq Ahamed are batsman later on in the series,” Moody Matches involving nations “The security authorities have those vacant opening spots,” Tom their two overseas players and the leg- said. which contributed troops to the been preparing for the World Cup 92 Moody,Sri Lanka’s coach told jour- spinner Mustaq, in particular, has and Muttiah US-led invasion of Iraq — for years and have taken into nalists ahead of the warm-up done exceptionally. However, they are Muralitharan will be rested while the Australia, England, Poland and account that countries which game. not expected to play against the Sri tourists will give a chance to Lasith Spain — could also be targets of have taken part in the Iraq war His views might not go well Lankans. Malinga, Nuwan Zoysa and leg-spin- Islamic extremists. are at particular risk from Islamic with everyone but Moody, the man “It’s a crucial game and we need to ner Malinga Bandara. Nuwan The German government has terrorism.” in charge, certainly has a point to take the momentum gained from the Kulasekara and argue as Sri Lanka is looking for Lord’s Test further. Hopefully we’ll be who failed with the ball despite coming the future and importantly there able to get some very good practice up with fine batting performances will FIFA world rankings were several positives from the under our belts before what’s going to fight it out for the third seamer’s slot. drawn first Test. be an important second Test,” Moody T.M. Dilshan has been ruled out of PARIS, May 17, 2006 (AFP) - FIFA world rankings ahead of the “We’ve been moving in the said. the warm up game with a hamstring World Cup finals which start in Germany on June 9:- right direction for the last six Mubarak will partner Tharanga injury that he sustained during the 1. Brazil 827 pts (0) 11. Nigeria 736 (+1) months. Ideally people want to win while Van Dort will be slotted in at first Test and he’s expected to recover 2. Czech Republic 772 (0) . Denmark 736 (0) every game; but that’s not possible. number three followed by Kumar in time for the first Test. What you’ve got to understand is 3. Netherlands 768 (0) 13. Italy 728 (+1) Sangakkara and . Sri Lanka (From) 4. Mexico 758 (+2) 14. Turkey 726 (-1) that we are in a transitional period Tilan Samaraweera, who has been in Mahela Jayawardene (Captain), Upul 5. United States 756 (-1) 15. Cameroon 722 (0) and we are a young side and it will miserable form will also get another Tharanga, Jehan Mubarak, Michael Van Dort, . Spain 756 (0) 16. Sweden 709 (0) take time to get there and we need opportunity while Prasanna , Tilan Samaraweera, 7. Portugal 750 (+1) 17. Egypt 708 (+1) to be patient,” he said. Jayawardene will play as the Prasanna Jayawardene, Nuwan Zoysa, Lasith 8. France 749 (-1) 18. Japan 705 (-1) Crucial game keeper. 9. Argentina 746 (-1) 19. Germany 696 (0) Today’s warm-up game is the “Prasanna will be playing and Malinga, Malinga Bandara, Nuwan Kulasekara only practice match available for or Farveez Maharoof. 10. England 741 (0) 20. Greece 694 (-1)

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