SHANGHAI (AFP) - American sprinters Tyson Gay and Carmelita Jeter overshadowed Liu Xiang's comeback performance here on Sunday when they recorded the second fastest men's and women's 100m races in history.

Jeter, the bronze medallist at last month's world championships in Berlin, blasted the blue riband event at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix in 10.64 seconds, 0.01sec faster than the disgraced Marion Jones.

But her time was still a way off the late Florence Griffith-Joyner, who set the world record of 10.49sec.

The 29-year-old Jeter, now working in California with famed coach John Smith, has enjoyed a fantastic season in which she has seen her times increase as the months went by.

The absence of Jamaican triple world and Olympic champion Usain Bolt counted for little in the men's 100m, where Gay powered to an impressive victory in 9.69sec, the joint second fastest time in history (with Bolt).

The American took advantage of a 2.0 m/s tailwind, the maximum limit for a 100m to be considered eligible.

Gay, who finished second behind Bolt when the latter set his world record run of 9.58sec in Berlin, beat home Jamaica's former world record holder Asafa Powell, who finished in 9.85sec with American Darvis Patton in third at 0.04sec.

Bolt had been due to compete in Shanghai but pulled out, citing fatigue.

Liu Xiang, the Athens Olympic champion, thrilled his hometown crowd in his much-anticipated comeback after his pull-out from the 110m hurdles at the Beijing Games.

The stadium erupted as Liu and Terrence Trammell, the world number two, crossed the finish line neck-and-neck, both registering a 110m hurdles time of 13.15sec, with the American credited with first place ahead of Liu.

Liu, 26, exploded out of the starting blocks, racing for the first time since he limped out of the Bird's Nest last year during qualifying heats, leaving fans heartbroken.

"His result is beyond our expectations," Liu's coach Sun Haiping told reporters after the race.

The former world champion and former world record holder vowed before the race that he would soon be "ready to bring home the glory for China once again".

"Being back on the track today is a pivotal step for me," Liu said in a statement.

Liu's strong performance contrasted with Chinese athletics officials attempts before the race to manage fans' expectations.

"I'm confident and optimistic that I will soon make a full recovery and be ready to win again. I need to be patient and not expect too much, too quickly," Liu said before the race.

Liu had an operation in the United States in December to repair the Achilles tendon that forced his dramatic Olympic withdrawal and has been training in secret in Shanghai over the past few months.

His compatriot Shi Dongpeng placed third in the race ahead of four-time world and 1996 Olympic champion Allen Johnson.

In the field, Russian pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva triumphed but failed on a third attempt to clear what would have been a world record of 5.07m.

She placed first with a height of 4.85m ahead of Poland's Anna Rogowska at 4.60m.