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World and Olympic champion Justin Gatlin became the new 100m world record holder at the IAAF Super Tour meeting in Doha on Friday.
The 24-year-old American clocked 9.76 seconds to break Asafa Powell's mark by one-hundredth of a second.
"I am very happy to have broken the world record," said Gatlin, whose main aim of 2006 was to smash Powell's mark. "I knew it was coming.
This is my third time in Doha and it has proved to be third time lucky."
Gatlin had already been in red hot form this season, clocking 9.95 in his first outing of the season in Osaka and 9.85 in the Doha semi-finals.
Jamaican Powell became the first sprinter in three years to lower the 100m mark even further in Athens last year.
Gatlin and Powell will renew their rivalry when they go head-to-head for the first time this season at the Gateshead Grand Prix on 11 June.
The pair last met on the track at the London Grand Prix last July but Gatlin cruised to victory as Powell pulled up with a groin injury which also kept him out of the world championships.
The pair did meet in the Olympic final in Athens but Gatlin came out on top as Powell trailed home in fifth place.
BBC
