Dominant Usain Bolt wins season opener in South Korea

Highlights - Bolt storms to victory

World and Olympic champion Usain Bolt blew away the field and set the fastest time in the world this year as he won his first big race of 2010.

The Jamaican recorded a time of 9.86 seconds in the 100m at the Daegu Pre-Championships meet in South Korea.

Bolt stumbled out of his blocks but came through to lead at halfway before pulling away to win by 0.29 seconds.

The 23-year-old will next run in the 200m in the Diamond League meeting in Shanghai on Sunday.

Fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell ran a faster time of 9.81 seconds to win the 100m at the opening Diamond League meeting in Qatar on Friday, but his time was wind-assisted.

Bolt won three gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, and repeated the hat-trick at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.

He led home his 2008 gold medal-winning relay team-mate Michael Frater in South Korea, with American Mike Rodgers taking third place.

Travis Padgett, with a personal best of 9.89 was expected to be Bolt's main competition, but the American came home fifth, trailing 0.44 seconds behind Bolt.

606: DEBATE

So, now it's on to Daegu, where Usain Bolt will be running in the 100 metres

shivfan

In the women's 100m the USA's Carmelita Jeter stormed to victory in 11.00 seconds, leading home Jamaican duo Veronica Campbell-Brown and Sherone Simpson.

Elsewhere at the Daegu Stadium there were some surprise results in the newly-formed IAAF world challenge, part of a series of 13 one-day invitational meetings.

In the men's 110m hurdles Olympic champion Dayron Robles was caught cold by the USA's David Oliver.

It was Robles's first race of the season, but he was well beaten by the American who put in a joint season's best time of 13.11 seconds.

USA's Virginia Powell triumphed in the women's 100m hurdles, edging out world indoor champion Lolo Jones and Canada's former world champion Perdita Felicien.

Just 0.03 seconds separated the top three in a thrilling finish, as Jones hit the final hurdle.

In a tightly-fought men's 200m USA youngster Ryan Bailey, 21, pipped Jamaica's Marvin Anderson by 0.01 seconds to seal a surprise win.

Double Olympic 400m champion Angelo Taylor cruised to victory in the men's one lap event, the American was unfazed as he powered home in golden spikes and sunglasses in a time of 45.21 seconds.

Jamaica's Kenia Sinclair coasted to victory in the women's 800m, with the USA's Bianca Knight winning the 200m.

In the 800m there were wins for South African world champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi in the men's race, and a commanding victory for Jamaica's Kenia Sinclair in the women's event.

Daegu Stadium is the venue for the 2011 IAAF World Championships 2011, so while the focus is on the Diamond League, some athletes are taking the opportunity on their way to South Korea to test the championship track ahead of next year's big event.