World and Olympic champion Linford Christie had his Goodwill Games preparations in disarray after he pulled up clutching his left hamstring when Jon Drummond beat him in the 100 meters at the TSB Games Grand Prix meet Friday.
On a warm night in which five British records tumbled, Drummond, of the United States, broke the mark for the 100 with 10.03, as Christie finished in 10.07.Christie said he hoped the injury was no more serious than a cramp, but he will miss Monday's meet at Nice, France, and the U.S.-Britain meet at Gateshead on Wednesday. He will not compete before the Goodwill Games at St. Petersburg beginning July 23.
The Briton had a good start, and by the 60-meter mark appeared on the way to beating Drummond, Nigerian Olapade Adeniken and Andre Cason.
But Drummond powered to the finish line, with Christie grimacing in pain in the final strides. Adeniken finished third and Cason fourth.
The British 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter all-comers' records were broken by Noureddine Morceli of Algeria and William Sigei of Kenya, respectively. Morceli, the 1993 world champion, took the 1,500 in 3:30.72, the third-fastest time in the world this year, while Sigei, then two-time world cross country champion, led a 1-2-3 Kenyan finish in the 5,000, clocking 13:06.72.
Ireland's Sonia O'Sullivan broke the European and all comers record for the 3,000 with a time of 8:21.64. Second place finisher Yvonne Murray of Scotland broke the Commonwealth record in 8:29.60.
And while Cuba's Olympic champion high jumper Javier Sotomayor failed in his attempt at a world record, his best leap of 7 feet, 103/4 inches broke the British mark.
Morceli was only .09 of a second off the year's fastest time, which he set in France on July 8, and in only his third appearance of the year, looked capable of going faster.
The Algerian said after the race he still has his sights on every world mark from the 800 meters to the 5,000.
"Why not? This year there are no major championships," Moreceli said. "It's a free year, no pressure, just meetings, so it could be done.
"I am very pleased with tonight. It was only my thrid race this year and it takes more competition to get better. I feel I am getting my strength and speed with every competition."
Britain's Sally Gunnell ran the fastest 400 women's hurdles in the world this year with a time of 54.04.
In the 110 hurdles, Briton Tony Jarrett beat Olympic champion Mark McCoy of Austria, while world champion Colin Jackson withdrew from the race with a groin strain.
Earlier in the night, two time 400 hurdles Olympic silver medalist Danny Harris was banned from the meet because he had not completed a four-year drug ban.