Athletics: World and Olympic champion Justin Gatlin broke the 100 metres world record with a time of 9.76 seconds at an IAAF Super Tour meeting, the Qatar Grand Prix, in Doha last night.

The 24-year-old from Brooklyn, New York, beat the previous mark of 9.77 - set by Jamaica's Asafa Powell in Athens in June last year - in finishing ahead of Nigeria's Olusoji Fasuba (9.84) and another American, Shawn Crawford (10.08), the Olympic 200 metres champion.

"I am the best of the best because I am the Olympic champion, the world champion and the world-record holder now," an understandably elated Gatlin told reporters.

"I thought I would do it and I kept my word. I am a man who likes challenges and my acceleration today was phenomenal."

Gatlin announced he had his sights set on the world record earlier this week after clocking 9.95 seconds in his first outing of the season in Osaka last Saturday.

He recorded the previous fastest time in the world this year, 9.85 seconds, in the Doha semi-finals.

In the final, Crawford received a warning for a false start.

Gatlin, in lane four, trailed Fasuba at the halfway mark on the resumption before changing gears smoothly to clinch victory and end his Doha jinx.

In 2004, the American was beaten here by Crawford while last year he was pipped by the Olympic runner-up Francis Obikwelu of Portugal.

Gatlin and Powell, who also ran 9.95 in Kingston, Jamaica, at the weekend, are due to clash at a grand prix meeting in Gateshead, England, on June 11th.

The pair last met on the track in London last July when Powell pulled up with a groin problem that put paid to his season.

Gatlin said the world record could go again soon.

"It wasn't my best race, I can go faster," said Gatlin, who dedicated his record to God and his parents. "If everything had gone right, I feel I could have done 9.73 seconds tonight.

"The timings could be further improved this year, probably in Europe."