Wariner runs personal best in 400m

Olympic 400 metres champion Jeremy Wariner ran a personal best of 43.50 seconds at the DN Gala meeting on Tuesday night to equal fellow-American Quincy Watts as the third-fastest man ever.

Only his agent Michael Johnson and Butch Reynolds have run faster while Watts clocked the same time at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Wariner, who defends his world title in Osaka, Japan, this month, told reporters the race was "pretty much perfect".

"I'm happy to get a PR (personal record), and it feels great to go into the world championships half a second faster than all the rest," he said.

On a cloudless, hot day Wariner relegated compatriot Kerron Clement into second place nearly a second behind in 44.48.

Johnson set his world record of 43.18 at the 1999 Seville world championships.

The time was a second stadium record in a row for Wariner, who was awarded a one-carat diamond for his feat. Last year he clocked 44.02 seconds.

Croatian Blanka Vlasic won the women's high jump, improving her world's year best by one centimetre to 2.07 metres on her third attempt. The jump was also a stadium record.

Vlasic then attempted to break the 20-year-old women's world record but failed with all three attempts at 2.10.

World record holder Asafa Powell had a less inspiring day but still managed to win the men's 100 metres, overcoming a poor start to win in 10.04 seconds.

The Jamaican only just edged Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas, who finished second in 10.05 seconds, with Churandy Martina third in 10.16.

Ethiopian Olympic 10,000 metres champion Kenenisa Bekele set a stadium record and a year's best in the men's 3,000 metres, clocking seven minutes 25.79 seconds.

American Me'Lisa Barber beat her compatriot Sanya Richards into second place in the women's 100 metres, winning in 11.03 seconds with Richards 0.02 behind.