World record holder, Usain Bolt, ran 9.85 seconds to beat former record-holder Asafa Powell in the 100-meter final Saturday night in Jamaica's Olympic trials.

Powell was second in 9.97 - his 36th sub-10 clocking - and Michael Frater, third in 10.04. Last month at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York, Bolt ran a 9.72 to break Powell's world record of 9.74. 

It wasn't much of a clash as both athletes turned off the throttle meters before the finish line.  Powell got the step on Bolt at the start and held his drive phase until the 50m mark where Bolt passed him and cruised to the win.

"I guess the crowd is a little disappointed but I actually said three weeks ago that I wouldn't be clashing with Asafa," Bolt said after the race.

Kerron Stewart won the women's 100 in 10.80, the second-fastest time by a Jamaican woman ever behind the illustrious Merlene Ottey.  Shelly-Ann Fraser was a surprise second in 10.85 and Sherone Simpson followed in 10.87. World champion, Veronica Campbell-Brown, was fourth in 10.88.

Stewart made it clear that she is going to Beijing to win the gold.

"You can't look for nothing else but the gold because that's what I've been training for and if I go out there and look for anything else... I would have wasted my time in training," a confident Stewart reasoned.

In the 400m hurdles, two-time World Junior Championship medallist, Melaine Walker, produced 54.58 secsonds to secure her third straight national title.

Walker, recently-crowned NCAA champion Nickeisha Wilson and Shevon Studdart were virtually abreast at the top of the stretch but the former outsprinted her rivals to the tape.  Wilson was timed in 54.74 ahead of Shevon Stoddart, 54.88.

"I was mainly running to make the team and I'll now turn my attention to the European circuit and I hope to take it to the world because this year is the Olympics and I want to make my country proud," Walker said.

2004 Olympic silver medallist, Danny McFarlane, shook-off a false-start and another race stoppage to turn in a commanding performance winning his fifth national title in 48.64 secsonds in the Men's equivalent.

Running in lane three, McFarlane took command of the race with about 180 metres to go before out-sprinting young rivals Isa Phillips, 49.08, and Markino Buckley, 49.14.

Meanwhile, in the American Olympic trials, Tyson Gay, in his quarterfinal race, ran an impressive 9.77 seconds to break the 9-year old American record of 9.79 set by Maurice Green in the 1999.  

The U.S. team for the women's 100, like Jamaica's, was determined Saturday.  Allyson Felix, probably the most hyped American female athlete of the moment, had to settle for fifth in 10.96.  The event was suprisingly won by Muna Lee who stopped the clock at 10.85 seconds.  Close on her heels were Torri Edwards and Lauryn Williams who were both given 10.90 and finished in second and third respectively.  Marshevet Hooker, who had the fastest time in each of the previous three rounds was fourth in 10.93 seconds.