Athletics: Laidback world recordholder eases himself into semifinals

Jamaican Asafa Powell was way off his fastest but still won his heat. Picture / Mark Mitchell

Away from the emotion of Kerryn McCann's dramatic marathon triumph, most first-day track and field interest was focused on world 100m recordholder Asafa Powell.

The laconic Jamaican wandered in, went to his blocks, raced the first 50m of his heat, switched to cruise, and drifted across the line.

His winning 10.53s - not within cooee of his 9.77s world mark - was the slowest of the eight heats.

He was back an hour or so later for the second round.

Again, a brisk start en route to a third-heat winning run. A slightly quicker 10.29s had him as the sixth fastest of the 16 runners who will be back for today's semifinals and tonight's final.

Nigerian Uchenna Emedolu posted the day's fastest time - 10.15s - in winning his second round heat.

Australian hope Josh Ross ran a season-best 10.23s to keep himself in the frame, posting the third-fastest time in finishing third behind Emedolu in the last of the four second-round heats.

New Zealand interest was on Jane Arnott in first-round 400m action.

Fastest away, Arnott ran strongly and within herself to finish third behind Tonique Williams (Bahamas) in the first heat. Arnott's 52.82s was almost a second slower than the time she ran to claim her spot at the Games.

She comfortably qualified in ninth place among the 24 who progressed to today's second round.

Grenada's Hazel Regis was fastest qualifier (51.47s), dragging Novlene Williams (Jamaica) to the second-best 51.51s in winning the fourth of five heats.