RIETI, Italy -- Aziz Zakari ran under 10 seconds in the 100 meters Sunday, and he didn't care that Justin Gatlin and Asafa Powell were not at the Rieti Grand Prix to see it.
Zakari won with a meet record of 9.99 seconds, matching a career best. Powell set the world record of 9.77 two months ago; Gatlin is the Olympic and world champion.
Today's my day," Zakari said. "With them or not, if I run 9.99 I'm going to be happy."
Tyson Gay of the United States, fourth in the 200 at the worlds, finished second in 10.08, and Britain's Jason Gardener was third in 10.09. Kim Collins, the 2003 world champion, was sixth in 10.16.
Powell and Gatlin have dominated the sprints this season. Zakari, however, has quietly posted important victories, such as his Golden League victories in Paris and Oslo. Two more events remain in the outdoor season -- the Golden League meet in Berlin next Sunday and the finals in Monaco on Sept. 9-10.
"I've had a great season despite what happened at the world championships," said Zakari, who finished last in the final in Helsinki.
