Johnson goes under 20-second mark again

Johnson8217;s performance 8212; a record 21st under the 20 seconds benchmark 8212; was all the more remarkable because it was achieved in unseasonally cool conditions.

Nor was the 200 and 400 Atlanta Olympics champion helped by the lack of a following wind, the reading being a perfectly calm 0.0 metres per second.

By comparison, his compatriot Maurice Greene ran only 0.01 of a second faster to win the world title on the same Seville track last August 8212; when Johnson chose to contest the 400 in which he set a world record 43.18 8212; in almost perfect conditions.

Despite the excellent time, Johnson was still far from satisfied.

8220;My curve was not so good but then this race was just to assess how well my training has been going,8221; he said, in his usual taciturn fashion.

Kenya8217;s Noah Ngeny, 1,500 metres world championship silver medallist last year, saw his bid to challenge the 3,000 world record of compatriot Daniel Komen unravel in the first kilometre.

Sluggish pacing by fellow Kenyan Luca Kipkoech meant that Ngeny passed through the the opening kilometre in 2:32.12 and he opted to stay with the persistent Moroccan Brahin Lahlafi rather than going for broke.

Ngeny kicked away from Lahlafi with 250 metres to go, and his winning time of 7:35.46 was still the fastest time in the world this year by more than nine seconds, but well outside his target of Komen8217;s four-year-old mark of 7:20.67.

Morocco8217;s Hicham El Guerrouj came to Seville, where he won the 1,500 metres world crown, with the aim of going under 3-1/2 minutes for the metric mile.

But the world record holder for the distance was another affected by the cold, and poor pacing, and he finished in 3:33.48.

The Moroccan was upbeat about his first outing of the year.8220;My objective was to have a good run. I8217;m satisfied and I8217;ve got good memories of being here before 8212; so that8217;s fine,8221; he said.

It was a mediocre appearance for the four other world champions who won gold medals in the Andalusian city in August.

Cuba8217;s Ivan Pedroso took the men8217;s long jump but his best mark of 8.08 metres was well short of the 8.65 8212; the best mark in the world for the last four years 8212; he achieved in Jena, Germany, six days ago.

Spain8217;s Niurka Montalvo, reigning women8217;s long jump world champion, never found top gear and finished second with a modest 6.66.

Russia8217;s Lyudmila Galkina, 1997 world champion, won with 6.76.

Czech middle distance runner Ludmila Formanova fared even worse in her specialist event over 800 metres, coming home third.

The race was won by Morocco8217;s Hasna Benhassi in 2:00.11, with Cuba8217;s Zulia Calatayud also beating Formanova in the sprint for the line.

World hammer champion Karsten Kobs of Germany only finished fifth with 77.59 in a competition won by compatriot Heinz Weis with 79.31.