Burrell Reclaims Spot as World's Fastest

LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Burrell is back. With a vengeance. Leroy Burrell re-entered the record books as the world's fastest man Wednesday by racing 100 meters in 9.85 seconds, 1/100 of a second faster than Carl Lewis' three-year-old mark. The Burrell, 27, stunned the 13,000 spectators in the opening race at the Athletissima meet with the first ever world record on the Lausanne track. Burrell can only hope this record lasts longer than his previous one. Burrell lost his record in 1991 to Lewis, who shattered Burrell's previous mark of 9.90 with a 9.86 clocking at the World Championships in Tokyo. "I came out today and said it was a perfect day, perfect conditions," Burrell said. "I reacted well. I knew at about 20 meters I could win. At 60 meters I started pulling away. As I crossed the finish line and saw the time I said it was incredible." Burrell led a pack of three runners who broke 10 seconds. He finished a meter ahead of Davidson Ezinwa of Nigeria and U.S. champion Dennis Mitchell, both timed at 9.99 seconds. Neither Lewis nor Olympic and world champion Linford Christie of Britain competed Wednesday due to a disagreement over appearance fees. Lewis reportedly asked for $100,000 to compete. But a showdown may come at the Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg.The victory was a brilliant comeback for Burrell, who failed to qualify for the 100-meter U.S. team in last year's World Championships in Stuttgart. Burrell was a member of four world record teams in the 4 by 100-meter relay. In 1990, he won 19 of 22 finals and was unbeaten in 1991 until Lewis took the world record. He was a medal favorites in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics but finished a disappointing fifth. He only competed in Stuttgart when Lewis moved aside to let him compete as anchor in the 4 by 100 relay. The American team won gold. The time was slower than the 1987 World Championship and 1988 Olympics times of 9.83 and 9.79 set by Canadian Ben Johnson, but canceled after he failed a drug test. In other competition at the star-studded event, 21 year-old Kareem Streete-Thompson intensified his rivalry with veteran Mike Powell in the long jump. Streete-Thompson, a native of the Cayman Islands who studies at Rice University in Texas, upset the world record holder to avenge his last-jump defeat by Powell in the U.S. nationals. Streete-Thompson landed an 8.51 meter jump on his third attempt. Powell, 31, was second with a disappointing 8.39 meters.