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Tyson Gay ran the fastest time so far this year of 9.77 seconds to win the 100 metres at Rome's Golden Gala and show Olympic champion Usain Bolt that he will not surrender his world sprint titles without a fight next month.

The American had to equal his personal best to see off Bolt's Jamaican compatriot and former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell, who ran 9.88 despite saying beforehand was not fully fit after suffering an ankle injury over two months ago.

Another Jamaican, Yohan Blake, came third with a time of 9.96 in the second attempt at the race after Daniel Bailey of Antigua false started.

Bolt is favourite to steal Gay's 100m and 200m crowns at the world championships in Berlin after winning the Olympic titles in both events in Beijing last year with world record times of 9.69 and 19.30 respectively.

But Gay's current form suggests he may give Bolt a run for his money after the American's Olympic campaign was hampered by a hamstring injury.

Friday's win comes after he ran a wind-assisted 9.75 seconds in the 100m at the US world championship trials last month and 19.58 in the 200m in May in New York, the third fastest ever.

"I've been learning how to refocus at the start (after false starts) and that's what I've done," Gay said.

"I don't know if it is a message to Bolt, it's not 9.69, but I'm pretty sure he knows I'm training and working hard."

Kerron Stewart ran another world leading time of 10.75 and her personal best in the women's 100m to beat fellow Jamaican and Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser.

Victory keeps Stewart in contention for a slice of the $1 million jackpot shared between the athletes who win at all six Golden League meetings after she took the first two.

Ethiopian middle distance great Kenenisa Bekele still has a chance of a slice of the big prize too after clinching the 5,000 metres in 12 minutes, 56.23 seconds, the best time so far this year.

So has Sanya Richards of the United States, who won the 400m in 49.46 to notch her 36th sub-50-second performance, breaking the tally set by world record holder Marita Koch of East Germany.

Russia's Olympic and world pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva remains in the hunt too, although her winning mark of 4.85m was well short of her world record of 5.05m.

Norway's two-time Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen ended his rival Tero Pitkamaki's million-dollar hopes with a final throw of 87.46m.

Finnish world champion Pitkamaki had led the competition from the start with his first throw of 83.68.

Bahrain's world champion Maryam Yusuf Jamal also set a year-best time of 3:56.55 for victory in the women's 1,500m. Cuba's 110m hurdles Olympic champion and world record holder Dayron Robles triumphed at his first Golden League event this year in 13.17.

In the long jump America's former world and Olympic champion Dwight Phillips beat the current holder of those titles, Panama's Irving Saladino, with a leap of 8.61 metres.

The next Golden League meeting is in Paris on July 17.

Rome Golden League meeting results on Friday.

Men's 100m

1. Tyson Gay (U.S.) 9.77 secs

2. Asafa Powell (Jamaica) 9.88

3. Yohan Blake (Jamaica) 9.96

4. Daniel Bailey (Antigua and Barbuda) 9.97

5. Steve Mullings (Jamaica) 10.01

6. Michael Rodgers (U.S.) 10.03

7. Richard Thompson (Trinidad and Tobago) 10.05

8. Michael Frater (Jamaica) 10.09

Men's 400m

1. Chris Brown (Bahamas) 44.81

2. David Gillick (Ireland) 44.82

3. Renny Quow (Trinidad and Tobago) 45.02

4. John Steffensen (Australia) 45.28

5. Ricardo Chambers (Jamaica) 45.31

6. Gary Kikaya (Democratic Republic of the Congo) 45.34

7. David Neville (U.S.) 45.71

8. Darold Williamson (U.S.) 46.41

Men's 800m

1. Alfred Kirwa (Kenya) 1min 45.23secs

2. Mohamed Al Salhi (Saudi Arabia) 1:45.61

3. Nadjim Manseur (Algeria) 1:45.64

4. Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (South Africa) 1:45.69

5. Boaz Kiplagat Lalang (Kenya) 1:46.25

6. Manuel Olmedo (Spain) 1:46.64

7. Abraham Chepkirwok (Uganda) 1:46.75

8. Lukas Rifeser (Italy) 1:46.91

Men's 1500m

1. Asbel Kiprop (Kenya) 3:31.20

2. Amine Laalou (Morocco) 3:31.56

3. William Biwott Tanui (Kenya) 3:31.70

4. Tarek Boukensa (Algeria) 3:32.03

5. Belal Mansoor Ali (Bahrain) 3:32.10

6. Juan Carlos Higuero (Spain) 3:32.59

7. Mohamed Moustaoui (Morocco) 3:32.60

8. Jeffrey Riseley (Australia) 3:32.93

Men's 5000m

1. Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) 12mins 56.23secs

2. Mark Kosgey Kiptoo (Kenya) 12:57.62

3. Leonard Patrick Komon (Kenya) 12:58.24

4. Lucas Kimeli Rotich (Kenya) 12:58.70

5. Bekana Daba (Ethiopia) 12:59.22

6. Imane Merga (Ethiopia) 12:59.75

7. Mathew Kipkoech Kisorio (Kenya) 13:02.40

8. Chakir Boujattaoui (Morocco) 13:09.62

Men's 110m Hurdles

1. Dayron Robles (Cuba) 13.17 secs

2. Antwon Hicks (U.S.) 13.27

3. Dexter Faulk (U.S.) 13.30

4. Aries Merritt (U.S.) 13.42

5. Stanislavs Olijars (Latvia) 13.60

6. Ryan Wilson (U.S.) 13.73

7. Dayron Capetillo (Cuba) 13.76

8. David Payne (U.S.) 13.87

Men's 400m Hurdles

1. Kerron Clement (U.S.) 48.09

2. Isa Phillips (Jamaica) 48.11

3. Louis Van Zyl (South Africa) 48.37

4. Danny McFarlane (Jamaica) 48.59

5. Javier Culson (Puerto Rico) 48.95

6. Justin Gaymon (U.S.) 49.55

7. Markino Buckley (Jamaica) 49.68

8. Joe Greene (U.S.) 49.77

Men's Long Jump

1. Dwight Phillips (U.S.) 8.61 metres

2. Irving Jahir Saladino Aranda (Panama) 8.27

3. Fabrice Lapierre (Australia) 8.22

4. Louis Tsatoumas (Greece) 8.19

5. Mitchell Watt (Australia) 8.12

6. Brian Johnson (U.S.) 7.90

7. Yahya Berrabah (Morocco) 7.78

8. Roman Novotny (Czech Republic) 7.68

Men's Javelin

1. Andreas Thorkildsen (Norway) 87.46

2. Tero Pitkaemaeki (Finland) 83.68

3. Mark Frank (Germany) 82.75

4. Vadims Vasilevskis (Latvia) 81.70

5. Oleksandr Pyatnytsya (Ukraine) 80.43

6. Mike Hazle (U.S.) 76.91

7. Eriks Rags (Latvia) 74.75

8. Aleksander Vieweg (Germany) 72.98

Women's 100m

1. Kerron Stewart (Jamaica) 10.75 secs

2. Shelly-Ann Fraser (Jamaica) 10.91

3. Chandra Sturrup (Bahamas) 10.99

4. Carmelita Jeter (U.S.) 11.01

5. Kelly-Ann Baptiste (Trinidad and Tobago) 11.06

6. Debbie Ferguson (Bahamas) 11.11

7. Stephanie Durst (U.S.) 11.13

8. Sheri-Ann Brooks (Jamaica) 11.18

Women's 400m

1. Sanya Richards (U.S.) 49.46

2. Shericka Williams (Jamaica) 50.31

3. Amy Mbacke Thiam (Senegal) 50.71

4. Novlene Williams (Jamaica) 50.90

5. Allyson Felix (U.S.) 50.94

6. Amantle Montsho (Botswana) 51.10

7. Libania Grenot (Italy) 51.32

8. Monica Hargrove (U.S.) 51.72

Women's 800m

1. Maggie Vessey (U.S.) 2mins 00.13secs

2. Elisa Cusma Piccione (Italy) 2:00.14

3. Maite Martinez (Spain) 2:00.21

4. Yekaterina Kostetskaya (Russia) 2:00.53

5. Anna Rostkowska (Poland) 2:00.57

6. Janeth Jepkosgei (Kenya) 2:01.39

7. Hazel Clark (U.S.) 2:01.41

8. Daniela Reina (Italy) 2:02.59

Women's 1500m

1. Maryam Yusuf Jamal (Bahrain) 3mins 56.55secs

2. Christin Wurth-Thomas (U.S.) 3:59.98

3. Oksana Zbrozhek (Russia) 4:01.48

4. Sonja Roman (Slovenia) 4:02.13

5. Viola Kibiwot (Kenya) 4:03.22

6. Meriem Alaoui Selsouli (Morocco) 4:03.76

7. Kalkidan Gezahegne (Ethiopia) 4:04.04

8. Lidia Chojecka (Poland) 4:04.83

Women's 100m Hurdles

1. Dawn Harper (U.S.) 12.55 secs

2. Delloreen Ennis-London (Jamaica) 12.67

3. Brigitte Foster-Hylton (Jamaica) 12.68

4. Perdita Felicien (Canada) 12.70

5. Sally McLellan (Australia) 12.76

6. Priscilla Lopes-Schliep (Canada) 12.76

7. Virginia Powell (U.S.) 12.79

8. Christina Vukicevic (Norway) 13.01

Women's 400m Hurdles

1. Anna Jesien (Poland) 54.31

2. Sheena Tosta (U.S.) 54.57

3. Melaine Walker (Jamaica) 54.58

4. Tiffany Ross-Williams (U.S.) 54.81

5. Anastasiya Rabchenyuk (Ukraine) 55.39

6. Kaliese Spencer (Jamaica) 55.40

7. Josanne Lucas (Trinidad and Tobago) 55.54

8. Nickiesha Wilson (Jamaica) 56.64

Women's 3000m Steeplechase

1. Gulnara Samitova-Galkina (Russia) 9mins 11.58secs

2. Yekaterina Volkova (Russia) 9:17.40

3. Ruth Bisibori Nyangau (Kenya) 9:17.85

4. Sofia Assefa (Ethiopia) 9:23.61

5. Habiba Gheribi (Tunisia) 9:24.40

6. Sophie Duarte (France) 9:25.62

7. Lydia Jebet Rotich (Kenya) 9:30.29

8. Jessica Augusto (Portugal) 9:32.10

Women's High Jump

1. Antonietta Di Martino (Italy) 2.00 metres

2. Blanka Vlasic (Croatia) 1.97

3. Chaunte Howard (U.S.) 1.97

4. Svetlana Shkolina (Russia) 1.94

5. Viktoriya Slivka-Klugina (Russia) 1.90

6. Marina Aitova (Kazakhstan) 1.90

7. Amy Acuff (U.S.) 1.90

8. Melanie Skotnik (France) 1.90

Women's Pole Vault

1. Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia) 4.85

2. Yuliya Golubchikova (Russia) 4.70

3. Svetlana Feofanova (Russia) 4.70

4. Fabiana Murer (Brazil) 4.60

5. Silke Spiegelburg (Germany) 4.60

6. Anna Rogowska (Poland) 4.60

7. Anna Battke (Germany) 4.46

8. Monika Pyrek (Poland) 4.46

Reuters