Surin and Bailey too good for Christie

LINFORD CHRISTIE, yet to confirm whether he will defend his Olympic title next month, crashed to a 100m defeat at the International Amateur Athletic (IAAF) Grand Prix meeting here on Friday - but still ended the race with a huge smile.

The British sprinter finished third behind Canadian duo Bruny Surin, who won in 10.03 seconds, and world champion Donovan Bailey but lifted his arms after the race as if he had won.

Christie, who timed 10.05, said: "My decision over whether to run at Atlanta was 70 per cent made before this race, now it's 80/20. But I'm not saying what I've decided.

"I would have been happier to win but I was pleased. I'm consistent around 10.05. But what have to prove?"

The 36 year old, yet to beat the 10 seconds barrier this year, is expected to give his final decision over whether to run at Atlanta on July 1st.

The evening had begun well, with the men and women's 400m hurdles producing world best times for the year. First Tonya Buford, world silver medallist behind American team mate Kim Batten last year, turned the tables with a fine tactical victory.

Batten, who broke the world record at Gothenburg in beating Buford by one hundredth of a second, had caught Buford by the third hurdle and still led going into the final stretch before tying up. A delighted Buford powered off the final hurdle to win in 53.54 seconds.

World champion Derrick Adkins responded in kind. The 25 year old from Brooklyn has lost regularly to American trials winner Bryan Bronson and Samuel Matete, Zambia's 1991 world champion, but he said before the race: "There is no point in being, ready too early. I will be at 100 per cent at the Games."

He proved the point by reeling in the fast starting Bronson and holding off Matete to win by a full five metres in 47.70.

Ireland's Sinead Delahunty finished fifth in a fiercely competitive 1,500 metres, in four minutes 4.65 seconds, knocking nearly four seconds off her personal best.

Delahunty showed that she can now be considered a top class competitor over the metric mile as Romania's Gabriela Szabo won in 4:03.18, the best time in the world so far this year.

Marcus O'Sullivan distinguished himself in his best 1,500 metres race of the year, finishing third behind world champion and world record holder, Nourredine Morceli, from Algeria. O'Sullivan clocked 3:34.09 but, sadly, was no match for the incomparable Algerian, who also notched up the best mark for 1996 with 3:29.50.