New Zealand sprinter Zoe Hobbs has set the fastest women's 100 metres time in Australia in a sizzling performance at the Sydney Track Classic.
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Hobbs clocked an all-comers record of 10.97 seconds on Saturday, eclipsing the previous record of 10.99 set by Greece's Ekaterini Thanou at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Disgraced American sprinter Marion Jones ran faster in the same competition, but her performance in Sydney was rubbed out after she admitted to using performance enhancing drugs.
Hobbs did run faster, clocking a wind-assisted 10.89 last week, but the breeze on Saturday was well inside the permitted limit.
"I saw the time and I'm like, 'oh my God, I don't want to get too excited' just in case it wasn't legal, but in any conditions I'll be stoked with a sub-11," Hobbs said.
"I'm still trying to wrap my head around how its happened because I've just come back from injury."
Queenslander Torrie Lewis (11.23) was second, just 0.03 seconds outside the national under-20 record set at altitude by the legendary Raelene Boyle at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.
Hobbs's much anticipated battle with Naa Anang didn't eventuate with the Australian finishing seventh in 11.48.
Rohan Browning won the men's 100m, clocking 10.14sec into a slight headwind, two hundredths of a second ahead of New Zealander Eddie Osei-Nketia.
American world 100m champion Fred Kerley, the meet's star attraction, wrapped up his Australian campaign by winning the 400m in a brisk 44.65sec.
"I think it was a good campaign," said Kerley, who was also victorious in his other race in Australia over 200m in Melbourne last month.
Jessica Hull continued her excellent form by clocking an Australian 3000m record of 8 minutes 31.81 seconds, eclipsing the old mark by almost five seconds in winning the Australian 3000 metres title.
The recent World Cross Country relay bronze medallist dominated the race, winning by 19 seconds and running by herself for the last three-and-a-half laps.
"I didn't really feel like I was on my own because the crowd was so loud," Hull said.
She said she had targeted the record as she wanted to test her fitness.
"I really wanted to pick a race that I can really test and see where I'm at and that was tonight, it was a perfect opportunity to do it," Hull said.
Other in-form women to record good wins on Saturday were high jumper Nicola Olyslagers (1.94 metres), women's 100m hurdler Michelle Jenneke (12.70sec) and 800 metre runner Abbey Caldwell (1:58.62).
Queenslander Jude Thomas won the national 3000m championship in 7:48.25.
Canberra's 16-year-old Cameron Myers underlined his huge potential by setting new national under-18 and 20 records in the 3000m, with his time of 7:52.06 earning him fifth spot.
Australian Associated Press
