Track & Field News of Sunday, 5 September 2004

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Aziz Zakari finishes second in Rieti

RIETI, Italy (AP) - Exactly one week after the Athens Games finished, Abdul Aziz Zakari, who pulled out of the 100m finals, run again and finished second.

Asafa Powell followed up his fast win (9.87) at the Van Damme Memorial on Friday in Brussels with a 10.18 to take the Rieti crown.

Zakari of Ghana was the runner-up in 10.20 and another Jamaican, Dwight Thomas, finished third in 10.30.

There was a -1.3 wind factor, which attributed to the relatively slow times.

"The wind was really strong," Powell said. "I've never run that hard. I started slow, but I just drive and drive until I passed them all and then I started relaxing."

Powell, a pre-Olympic favorite, finished fifth in Athens.

Reigning world champion Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis came fifth on Sunday.