Published>Sat, Aug 28 10 02:01 AM
World 800 metres champion Caster Semenya finished third on her Diamond League debut on Friday after a troubled season and in-form sprinter Tyson Gay notched up another win.
Gay, who had been due to face world-record holder Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell over the 100 metres only for the Jamaican pair to pull out injured, was made to work for his victory.
The American did not get the best start but came through late to beat Nesta Carter of Jamaica in 9.79 seconds, 0.01 outside his world-leading time set in London two weeks ago.
South African Semenya, who was cleared to compete again last month after controversial gender tests had put her career on hold since she won the world title in August 2009, ran a season's best one minute 59.65 seconds for third behind Kenya's Janeth Jepkosgei.
It was only the fourth race of the year, and first defeat, for the 19-year-old who was selected for South Africa's squad on Wednesday for the Commonwealth Games in October, and she appeared to take a cautious approach, running the first lap at the back.
Semenya, running wide, slowly moved up the field in the final 200 but could not match the speed of former world champion Jepkosgei and European gold medallist Mariya Savinova, who was second.
"She ran a little bit faster than in Berlin (1:59.90) and it was a very competitive race," Semenya's coach Michael Seme said.
"If everything is going well, Caster will compete at the Commonwealth Games."
Allyson Felix, competing in Brussels for the first time, added the 200 metres Diamond League title to the 400 she won in Zurich last week.
The American, who has plans to run both distances at next year's world championships and the 2012 Olympics, came off the bend just ahead of compatriot Shalonda Solomon and calmly maintained her position to the line for victory in 22.61 seconds.
Reese Hoffa got a second successive Diamond League shot put victory over fellow American Christian Cantwell with a meeting record of 22.16 metres on his final attempt.
Cantwell, whose defeat to Hoffa in London two weeks ago was his first in 21 meetings, briefly held the lead after throwing 21.62 on the last round only for his compatriot, next in the circle, to better it.
European champion Mahiedine Mekhissi Benabbad had the sell-out crowd on their feet early in the meeting when the Frenchman beat Kenya's Diamond League champion Paul Kipsiele Koech in the 3,000 steeplechase in a personal best time of eight minutes 2.52 seconds.
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