ROME — Maurice Greene and Marion Jones cruised to victories over 100 meters with solid times at the Golden Gala track and field meet Friday.
Greene, the world-record holder, led out of the blocks on his way to a time of 10.01 seconds at the summer's first major meet ahead of the World Championships.
He appeared to limp through his victory lap at Stadio Olimpico.
"I had problems with my knee," the Olympic gold medalist said. "But (the trainers) managed to make me feel good."
Recently crowned U.S. champion Tim Montgomery finished second in 10.11, followed by Nigeria's Francis Obikwelu in 10.19. Olympic bronze medalist Obadele Thompson was eighth.
Jones won the women's dash in 10.96. She was slow out of the blocks after a false start, but controlled the race by the 40-meter mark on a track dampened by an early evening thunderstorm.
Jones, who at Sydney became the first woman to win five track medals at an Olympics, was followed by Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas in 11.10 and American Christe Gaines in 11.11.
The Rome event is the first leg of Europe's seven-meet Golden League circuit and was the first major summer competition for several of the favorites ahead of the World Championships in Edmonton in August.
Hicham El Guerrouj captured the mile in 3:44.95 on the same track where he broke the world record in the event in 1999. Bernard Lagat of Kenya finished second, followed by Andres Diaz of Spain.
Ethiopia's Aliu Mekkonen won the 5,000, beating a pair of Kenyans, Benjamin Limo and Sammy Kipketer.
In other action, Stacy Dragila won the women's pole vault, Britain's Colin Jackson won the 110 hurdles, Switzerland's Andre Bucher edged Russia's Yuriy Borzakovzkiy in the 800 in a photo finish, and American James Carter took the 400 hurdles.
Austria's Stephanie Graf took the 800 in 1:58.44, ahead of a pair of Russians, Natalya Tsyganova and Ludmila Mistyukewich.
Olga Yegorova took the women's 3,000 in 8:23.97, leading a Russian podium sweep as Olympic champion Gabriela Szabo of Romania faded to fourth.