Athletics:The Olympic 400-metre champion Jeremy Wariner ran a personal best of 43.50 seconds at the DN Gala meeting in Stockholm yesterday to join his US compatriot Quincy Watts as third-fastest ever.

Only Wariner's agent Michael Johnson and Butch Reynolds have run faster.

Wariner, who defends his world title in Osaka this month, said the race was "pretty much perfect" and added, "It feels great to go into the World Championships half a second faster than all the rest . . . If I run like this in Osaka, I can almost guarantee a 43.3 run."

Johnson set the world record of 43.18 at the 1999 Seville World Championships.

World record-holder Asafa Powell had a less inspiring day but still managed to win the 100 metres, overcoming a poor start to post 10.04 seconds.

The Jamaican edged Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas, who clocked 10.05, with Churandy Martina third in 10.16.

"Normally, 10.04 is a joke," said Powell. "(But) I'm not worried about the World Championships - I know what I did wrong and it's easy to fix."

In the women's 100 metres, Me'Lisa Barber beat her US compatriot Sanya Richards, winning in 11.03 seconds with Richards two-hundredths back.

UK Athletics have named Christine Ohuruogu in the British 4x400 metres squad for the Osaka World Championships though she has just completed a 12-month drugs ban for missing three out-of-competition tests.

Ohuruogu, who has not raced since July last year, has also been selected for the individual 400metres.

Ohuruogu has appealed to the British Olympic Association for reinstatement after she received the mandatory life ban it imposes as part of its anti-doping policy.

Women's hammer world record-holder Tatyana Lysenko is certain to miss Osaka after failing a drugs test for a hormone blocker in May.

The 23-year-old would have been an overwhelming favourite to win her first global title.

Another Russian hammer thrower, the European junior champion Yekaterina Khoroshikh, is also sidelined after testing positive for the same medication on May 9th.