Gatlin, Jones triumph in U.S. championships

NEW INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, June 24 (Reuters) Joint world record holder Justin Gatlin clocked 9.93 seconds into a head wind and former Olympic sprint queen Marion Jones signalled her return with a run of 11.10 seconds for 100 metres victories at the US championships.

The 24-year-old Gatlin had hoped to break the world record of 9.77 seconds he shares with Jamaican Asafa Powell, but the head wind of 1.2 metres per second and three races in one day negated that possibility yesterday.

Still, Gatlin showed his dominance by defeating Tyson Gay by 1.4 seconds. Training partner and Olympic 200 metres gold medallist Shawn Crawford was third in 10.26 seconds.

''It was kind of a little disappointing that I wasn't able to go for the world record,'' said Gatlin who was mobbed by autograph seekers for more than 30 minutes after his victory.

''But it felt good to run and win,'' Gatlin added.

It was Gatlin's second sub-10 seconds run of the day. He had clocked 9.99 seconds in the semi-finals.

The delighted Jones thrust an arm into the air as she crossed the finish line in her victory over 2005 world champion Lauryn Williams and 2003 world gold medallist Torri Edwards.

The title, Jones's 14th national, came at the site of her first US championship nine years ago.

IMPRESSIVE THROW She had not won a US sprint title since 2002.

Since then she had given birth to a son, who watched her run for the first time yesterday, and had been under scrunity by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in connection with the BALCO doping scandal although she had never failed a drugs test.

''I've had the highest of the ups and the lowest of the lows (since her 100 metres and long jump victories in Indianapolis in 1997),'' Jones said.

''I definitely feel I am on my way back,'' said the 2000 Olympic triple gold medallist, who had run well since 2002.

Williams finished second and Edwards third in the same time -- 11.17 seconds.

World champion Adam Nelson won the shot put impressively with a throw of 22.04 seconds.

Brian Johnson upset Olympic and world champion Dwight Phillips to win the long jump with a leap of 8.10 metres. Phillips took second at 8.08 metres.

Kenyan-born Bernard Lagat won the men's 5,000 metres in 13 minutes, 14.32 seconds after qualifying for Sunday's 1,500 metres in 3:44.46. Lagat, the 2004 Olympic 1,500 metres silver medallist for Kenya, became a U.S. citizen later that year.

World champion Bryan Clay led the decathlon after five events with 4,394 points. Previous world champion Tom Pappas was 52 points behind.

The championships, the US qualifier for September's IAAF World Cup of Athletics in Athens, continue through Sunday.

REUTERS PM PM0934