World record holder Liu Xiang took sweet revenge on American Allen Johnson as the 23-year-old Chinese rallied to win the men's

110m hurdles at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix on Saturday.

 

To the joy of a 40,000-strong home crowd, Liu delivered with a 13.07 seconds, come-from-behind victory, pipping Johnson, who defeated him last week at the World Cup in Athens.

 

Crossing the finish line, Liu thrust his index finger in the air and let out a yell as the stadium erupted into wild cheers.

 

"I started slowly, but I ran very well in the second half of the race," said Liu, who set the world record of 12.88 seconds in Lausanne, Switzerland, in July.

 

"Though I didn't run under 13 seconds, overall, I am very satisfied with my performance," added the Shanghai native.

 

Johnson, four-time world champion, surged ahead after the startgun, but clipped the last hurdle as Liu roared past. The 35-year-old Johnson came second in 13.09.

 

"Liu ran really fast in the later half of the race," said Johnson. "I felt exhausted."

 

 

 

Marcus Bruson led an American sweep in the men's 100 meters, winning the race in 10.03 seconds. Leonard Scott took silver in 10.09 and Wallace Spearmon grabbed bronze in 10.11.

 

American Allyson Felix successfully defended her 100m title, notching a time of 11.17 seconds. Compatriot Torri Edwards was second in 11.27, with Jamaica's Aleen Bailey third at 11.41.

 

Evergreen sprint queen Merlene Ottey, 46, finished seventh after a season plagued by injury.

 

"I know I couldn't win a medal but I just like performing," said the Jamaican-born Ottey, who now represents Slovenia.

 

The Americans also made a clean sweep at the women's 100m hurdles. World champion Michelle Perry won in 12.60 seconds, followed by Damu Cherry in 12.64, and Joanna Hayes in 12.90.

 

Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele, the world record holder in the 5,000 and 10,000, was edged into the second place in the men's 1,500m race. He ran neck-and-neck with Kenyan Augustine Choge over the last half lap, but Choge held off Bekele about 10 meters before the finish line and clocked 3:33.01. Bekele was just .12 seconds behind.

 

There was another close race when Tirunesh Dibaba squeaked out a 0.01 second win over Ethiopia's Burka Gelete in the 5,000 meters, winning in 14.55.63.

 

Ignisious Gaisah of Ghana, the silver medalist at last year's world championships, leapt 8.16 meters to win the men's long jump, while reigning Olympic and world champion Dwight Philips did not finish.

 

Russia's Yaroslaw Rybakov cleared the height of 2.33 meters in his third attempt to win the men's high jump. It was his best performance during this season.

 

Russia's Evgenya Issakova won the women's 400m hurdles in 53.98 seconds, ahead of American Tiffany Ross-Williams, who clocked 54.26. Home favorite Huang Xiaoxiao recorded her season best time of 54.69 to finish third.

 

Nastja Ryjikh of Germany won the women's pole vault with a modest height of 4.51 meters, while China's Ago Shuying, who holds the Asian record of 4.53, finished second with 4.41.

 

American Lashawn Merritt took the men's 400m in 45.10 seconds, but compatriot Jeremy Wariner, who had been undefeated in the 2006 outdoor season, withdrew midway the race after straining his thigh.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 24, 2006)