RIO DE JANEIRO - They both won, but the challenge to establish who is the world’s fastest man is as open as ever between Donovan Bailey, the Canadian world record holder and Olympic champion in the 100m, and Michael Johnson (USA) whose record time of 19.32 in the final of the 200m stunned everyone in Atlanta. Bailey and Johnson were the big stars of the opening meeting of the IAAF Grand Prix season, held in a crowded Celia de Barros stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The Canadian dominated the 100m, winning in 10.13, the fifth best time of the season, whilst the American was an easy winner of the 200m in 20.29. There had been doubts about Bailey’s form, especially after a tendon problem and some muscular pain following his last leg in a 4x100m relay in Austin a month ago, but his performance in Rio would appear to indicate that he has nothing to fear in the 150m encounter with Michael Johnson in Toronto on 1 June: he should be in top form. As for Michael, everything is going well: he ran his 20.29 in the morning against a light head wind with barely a drop of perspiration in sight, he is obviously in peak condition.

But the star of this opening IAAF Grand Prix was James Beckford (JAM). He made a magnificent 8.61m long jump, which only failed to qualify as a new Jamaican record because of slightly excessive wind conditions (2.6m/s). Beckford who is still only 22 years old already has to his credit a silver medals in the ’95 world championships and the ’96 Olympics and is shaping up as the greatest threat to Ivan Pedroso of Cuba. In all events, with 8.61m in Rio, Beckford made the best jump of the season so far, just ahead of another emerging talent: the Brazilian Nelson Ferreira. The other close competition of this inaugural Grand Prix was the confrontation between Allen Johnson (USA), world and Olympic champion in the 110m hurdles, and the young Anier Garcia (CUB), who holds the world indoors title. Johnson may have crossed the line first, but Garcia left no doubt that he was a serious contender for the title.