Gatlin-Powell July sprint showdown in works

NEW YORK, June 1 (Reuters) The hotly anticipated 100 metres showdown between US Olympic and world champion Justin Gatlin and co-world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica will likely take place next month.

Gatlin's agent, former hurdles champion Renaldo Nehemiah, said today that he expects the sprinters will probably run against each other prior to a July 28 meeting in London.

''It will probably be prior to London, but I'm not ruling out that London could be the first confrontation,'' Nehemiah told reporters at a news conference promoting New York's grand prix athletics meeting on Saturday, where Gatlin is running.

Nehemiah said he has been in close contact with Paul Doyle, Powell's agent, and that they are comparing schedules and assessing the possibilities of a showdown between the world record co-holders.

Gatlin, who will be running his first professional 100 metres race in his native New York, said he was looking forward to competing against Powell. He tied Powell's mark of 9.77 seconds in Doha on May 12.

''My people and his people are working on it,'' Gatlin told reporters. ''People are waiting for this showdown. Like when you had Carl Lewis and Ben Johnson. Everybody in the world stopped to watch them.'' FELL THROUGH A potential showdown this month at the Gateshead meeting in England fell through, and the two sprinters ran separate 100 metre races at the Prefontaine Classic last week in Eugene, Oregon.

Nehemiah said many variables had to be taken into account.

''It's not just about the highest bidder,'' he said. ''It's about climate and wanting to have a full stadium.'' Nehemiah said he doubted they would arrange a race on July 3 is Athens, for instance.

''I don't want 3,000 people in an 80,000-seat stadium seeing these two guys run. I owe it to my sport because perception is reality. If the rest of the world sees no one is watching this race, then it's not newsworthy.'' Nehemiah said he understood Powell was scheduled to run in Athens, then in Paris on July 7 and in Rome on the 14th. He said Gatlin has committed to Lausanne on the 11th and Zurich on the 18th. Both are confirmed for London.

Other sites could enter the picture, said Nehemiah, noting events in Stockholm and Helsinki.

He would not comment on the price they could command. ''I have no idea. It's not seven figures,'' Nehemiah said. ''It's definitely six, but it was six before that without Powell.

''We're not holding out for a certain amount of dollars.

Fortunately, I'm in a good position because everybody is soliciting me and making offers to us and I have to look at them and see what makes sense.'' Reuters PDS VP0020