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Olympic 400 metres champion LaShawn Merritt laid down a significant marker for world championship rival Jeremy Wariner with a comfortable victory at the Athens Grand Prix.

The 23-year-old Merritt, who finished behind Wariner in the 2007 world championships but beat his fellow American to win gold in Beijing, clocked 44.54 seconds to cruise to victory at the Olympic Stadium.

Merritt only missed his season best performance by 0.04secs and his run suggested Wariner would need to produce something special to retain his world title in Berlin next month.

"I wanted to run a little faster but I'll take the victory," Merritt said after finishing ahead of compatriot David Neville and Congolese athlete Gary Kikaya.

"I ran well, but more importantly I feel fresh and ready for Berlin."

Merritt said he believed Michael Johnson's world record mark of 43.18 would be broken soon.

"I think it can be broken," he said. "I've come off a long season last year and I'm still running well this year. I'm still kind of young and the record is definitely one of my goals.

"Jeremy hasn't been racing much this year so I haven't been able to follow him closely," Merritt said. "But I know he will be well prepared and very strong in Berlin. I've just got to concentrate on myself and be ready.

"Since Osaka two years ago I feel I have gotten much stronger both physically and mentally. I'm finishing races very well and my body is feeling great."

Jamaica's women also sent out a strong message to their rivals.

World champion Veronica Campbell-Brown sealed victory in the 100m in impressive fashion, pulling away from American Carmelita Jeter to win in 10.96 seconds.

It was the first time this season the 27-year-old has gone under 11 seconds.

"I am very happy with my performance, it was a close race," she said.

Campbell-Brown's compatriot Novlene Williams-Mills enjoyed a comfortable victory in the 400 metres in a season's best time of 50.05 seconds and another Jamaican, Isa Philips, showed why he is highly fancied to win gold in Berlin by winning the 400 metres hurdles in 48.09 seconds.

The crowd was treated to an impressive performance from Greek long jumper Louis Tsatoumas, who produced a season best leap of 8.21 metres to finish just four centimetres behind winner Fabrice Lapierre of Australia.

Results from the Grand Prix meeting in Athens

Men's 100m Race 1

1. Travis Padgett (US) 10.09

2. Jaysuma Saidy (Norway) 10.10

3. Michael Rodgers (US) 10.10

Men's 100m Race 2

1. Ivory Williams (US) 9.95

2. Mark Jelks (US) 9.99

3. Ainsley Waugh (Jamaica) 10.23

Men's 200m

1. Mark Jelks (US) 20.28

2. Stephan Buckland (Mauritius) 20.33

3. Shawn Crawford (US) 20.42

Men's 400m

1. LaShawn Merritt (US) 44.54

2. David Neville (US) 45.14

3. Gary Kikaya (Democratic Republic of the Congo) 45.29

Men's 800m

1. Asbel Kiprop (Kenya) 1:43.48

2. Ismail Ahmed Ismail (Sudan) 1:43.82

3. Gary Reed (Canada) 1:43.95

Men's 110m Hurdles

1. Joel Brown (US) 13.18

2. Ryan Brathwaite (Barbados) 13.22

3. Eric Mitchum (US) 13.34

Men's 400m Hurdles

1. Isa Phillips (Jamaica) 48.09

2. Louis Van Zyl (South Africa) 48.18

3. Danny McFarlane (Jamaica) 48.53

Men's 3000m Steeplechase

1. Brimin Kipruto (Kenya) 8:03.17

2. Ezekiel Kemboi (Kenya) 8:05.14

3. Tareq Mubarak Taher (Bahrain) 8:06.13

Men's High Jump

1. Ivan Ukhov (Russia) 2.34

2. Jaroslav Baba (Czech Republic) 2.31

3. Jesse Williams (US) 2.28

Men's Long Jump

1. Fabrice Lapierre (Australia) 8.24

2. Louis Tsatoumas (Greece) 8.21

3. Brian Johnson (US) 8.16

Men's Javelin Throw

1. Vadims Vasilevskis (Latvia) 88.33

2. Ainars Kovals (Latvia) 80.72

3. Eriks Rags (Latvia) 79.98

Women's 100m

1. Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica) 10.96

2. Carmelita Jeter (US) 11.02

3. Debbie Ferguson (Bahamas) 11.04

Women's 400m

1. Novlene Williams (Jamaica) 50.05

2. Monica Hargrove (US) 50.39

3. Amy Mbacke Thiam (Senegal) 50.72

Women's 1500m

1. Maryam Yusuf Jamal (Bahrain) 3:58.72

2. Oksana Zbrozhek (Russia) 4:02.40

3. Kalkidan Gezahegne (Ethiopia) 4:02.98

Women's 3000m Steeplechase

1. Gulnara Samitova-Galkina (Russia) 9:17.86

2. Gladys Kipkemboi (Kenya) 9:26.03

3. Lydia Jebet Rotich (Kenya) 9:26.51

Women's High Jump

1. Marina Aitova (Kazakhstan) 1.99

2. Amy Acuff (US) 1.95

3. Viktoriya Slivka-Klugina (Russia) 1.91

Women's Pole Vault

1. Svetlana Feofanova (Russia) 4.68

2. Yuliya Golubchikova (Russia) 4.53

3. Chelsea Johnson (US) 4.48

Women's Triple Jump

1. Yargelis Savigne (Cuba) 15.00

2. Anna Pyatykh (Russia) 14.37

3. Dana Veldakova (Slovakia) 14.34

Women's Shot Put

1. Nadezhda Ostapchuk (Belarus) 19.68

2. Nadine Kleinert (Germany) 19.67

3. Michelle Carter (US) 18.16

Reuters