US championships hit by storms

INDIANAPOLIS, June 22 (Reuters) Severe thunderstorms forced key events to be postponed at the US championships including appearances by joint world 100 metres record holder Justin Gatlin and former Olympic sprint queen Marion Jones.

Athletes and spectators were twice evacuated from Carroll Stadium because of rain and lightning yesterday before officials called off the day's late events, including the 100 metres preliminaries.

Gatlin was hoping to break the world record he shares with Jamaican Asafa Powell. He and the returning Jones will now run three rounds of the 100 metres, including the finals, on Friday, officials said.

Finals of the men's and women's 10,000 metres and the women's triple jump and javelin were also postponed until Fridays.

No finals were completed on Thursday.

In qualifying, Kerron Clement clocked 49.32 seconds in the 400 metres hurdles and world silver medallist Sanya Richards ran 51.02 seconds in the women's 400 before the rains came.

The championships, the U.S. qualifying event for September's World Cup of Athletics in Athens, continue through Sunday.

REUTERS PM PM1121