Posted: June 21, 2005

Athletics: By The Slimmest Of Margins, Powell Retains Overall Top Spot - Latest IAAF World Rankings

Monte-Carlo - Jamaican Asafa Powell rose to the top of the IAAF World Rankings a week ago, and reasserted his dominance the very same night, by breaking the World 100m record. Powell won in Athens in 9.77 (1482 points), not surprisingly the best performance of the year so far. The 22-year-old increased his lead at the top of the Men's 100m Event Ranking, but more importantly, held on to his pole position in the Men's Overall Ranking just ahead Saif Saaeed Shaheen of Qatar.

Shaheen dropped out of the 3000m steeplechase Event Ranking last week but returned to his previous number one position just seven days later. The reigning World champion won in Athens with 7:57.28 (1415 points) which is the second highest points total for any performance this season behind Powell's effort. In the Overall Ranking, Powell leads Shaheen by a single point, but it could all change in little over a week, when the TDK Golden League starts in Paris (1 July).

Another new event leader is World 400m Hurdles champion Jana Pittman. The Australian won in Athens with ease, clocking the second fastest time of the season with 53.44 (1362 points), moving her up from 5th to 1st. Only World record holder Yuliya Pechonkina has run faster than that this year, in Tula just a day earlier.

In the Men's 1500m Event Ranking, Ivan Heshko of the Ukraine swapped places with World Indoor champion Paul Korir for second place. Heshko won in Athens with 3:33.29 (1338 points), while former World Indoor winner Rui Silva of Portugal finished 3rd with 3:33.87 (1300 points) and moved up one spot to 8th.

In the Women's 800m Event Ranking, Hasna Benhassi took the honours in Athens with 1:59.60 (1300 points) and moved up from 3rd to 2nd. Benhassi, the Olympic silver medallist, was just 0.01 seconds outside of her season's best, which she set in Seville in early June.

IAAF World Rankings.