Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell failed in his bid for a second 100 metres world record in less than a week although he still powered his way to victory at the Van Damme Golden League meeting.

Powell, who broke his own world record with a time of 9.74 seconds in Italy last Sunday, finished in 9.84 after a restart following a mistake by Briton Marlon Devonish out of the blocks.

"This time it was the weather, not the bad start," Powell claimed. "Of course, the restart doesn't help, but it was about 10 degrees colder than last week in Italy [where he set a world record of 9.74 seconds last week], so the conditions just weren't right."

"This is a very quick track and a great place to run with a terrific crowd, so hopefully some day I can achieve a world record here in the future."

Norway's Jaysuma Saidy Ndure was second in 10.11 seconds with Powell's compatriot Michael Frater third (10.12).

American Sanya Richards remained in contention for the Golden League jackpot when she cruised to a season's best of 49.36 seconds in the women's 400 metres.

The US athlete, who failed to make the final at the world championships in Osaka last month, outclassed Britain's world silver medallist Nicola Sanders who finished second again.

Victory for Richards in Berlin on Sunday will see her secure at least part of the $1 million Golden League prize.

Russian pole-vaulter Yelena Isanbayeva also remained in contention for the jackpot.

But Isinbayeva's victory was also tinged with disappointment after she failed in three world record attempts at 5.02 metres after clearing 4.90 easily to win the event.

Earlier, Ethiopia's Meseret Defar set a women's two-mile world best of eight minutes 58.58 seconds to beat her own world mark of nine minutes 10.47 seconds which she ran in May.

Croatia's Blanka Vlasic won the women's high jump by clearing 2.03 metres but failed her three attempts at 2.10 in a bid to break the world record set by Bulgaria's Stefka Kostadinova at 2.09 metres more than 20 years ago.

Women's world 100 metres hurdles champion Michelle Perry had to settle for third as she was outclassed by Sweden's Susanna Kallur who had finished in fifth behind the American in Osaka.

In the women's 100 metres, Veronica Campbell completed a Jamaican sprint double in 11.11 seconds, while Belgium's European champion Kim Gevaert delighted the sell-out home crowd with victory in the women's 200 metres.

Bahrain's world champion Maryam Jamal won the women's mile in a personal best of four minutes 17.75 seconds.

Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele set a world's best this year for the 10,000 metres with a time of 26:46.19.

The world champion in Osaka bettered the 26:48.73 time of his compatriot Sileshi Sihine, set last May at Hengelo in the Netherlands.

Men's 5,000 metres silver medallist Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya had to settle for second place again as Shine won a slow-run event.

Kenyan Paul Kipsiele Koech also set a world's best this year, for the 3000m steeplechase in a time of 7:58.80.

The 25-year-old thus bettered his time of 7:59.42, set on August 7 in Stockholm - an achievement that did not prove sufficient for the Kenyan federation who did not select him for the world championships in Osaka, Japan.

The men's 110 hurdles was won by Dayron Robles who squeezed home just ahead of American Anwar Moore.

Reuters