OSAKA, Japan -- American Tyson Gay surged past Asafa Powell to win the 100 meters at the track and field world championships Sunday in 9.85 seconds.
Gay had the season's best time of 9.84 seconds and was undefeated in the year coming into Osaka. Now, he has his first gold medal at a major international championship.
Powell, the co-holder of the world record, powered out of the blocks, leading most of the way until he was overtaken by Gay and Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas.
Atkins took silver in a national record 9.90, and Jamaica's Powell was third in 9.96.
Earlier in the semifinal heats, Powell burst from the blocks at high speed and remained focused on the line for the first 50 meters and then started checking out his challengers.
Cruising, Powell let Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas take the heat in 10.04 seconds. Powell, who holds the world record at 9.77, was next in 10:08.
Not to be outdone, Gay had his first decent start of the weekend. The American hit his stride and coasted to the best qualifying time, 10.00.
Both are focused on winning their first global title and bragging rights going into next year's Beijing Olympics.
In a tense shot put final, New Zealander Valerie Vili overtook defending champion Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus with her last attempt of 20.54 meters. Ostapchuk, who held the lead from the opening throw, had one attempt to go but was stranded just 6 centimeters short. Olympic silver medalist Nadine Kleinert of Germany took bronze with 19.77.
In the women's 100 heats, Veronica Campbell of Jamaica cruised into the second round in 11.33 seconds, hardly breaking a sweat in temperatures which soared into the high 80s.
Her main rival, U.S. champion Tori Edwards, won her heat in 11.14, easing up at the finish.
"I feel confident I can take this thing, the track is fast," she said. "It's hot, but sprinters like the hot weather."
Defending champion Lauryn Williams was second in her heat, advancing in 11.41.
In the heptathlon, Sweden's Carolina Kluft was poised to stretch her five-year unbeaten streak and add an unprecedented third straight heptathlon title. She also closed in on a European record, currently held by Russian Nikitina Larisa with 7,007 points.
After her favorite long jump and the javelin throw, Kluft had 6,105 points, 38 points inside her tally at the same stage when she set her personal best in winning the 2003 title in Paris.
Ukraine's Lyudmila Blonska stuck as close as possible with 5,963.
The heptathlon ends with the 800 late Sunday.
Jefferson Perez became the first man to win three successive 20-kilometer walk titles, enough to make him a star in his native Ecuador. Together with the 1996 Olympic title, the 33-year old became a quadruple gold medalist at major competitions.
"I knew I could be the first with three consecutive golds but shortly after the start I forgot about this -- I needed to concentrate," he said. "One more medal is not that important."
Spain's Francisco Javier Fernandez was reinstated to silver in the walk after being disqualified for lifting over the final stretch to catch Tunisia's Hatem Ghoula.
In a sport notorious for its technical infractions, Fernandez had both feet off the ground as he raced past Ghoula. The jury of appeal ruled it was insufficient to merit a disqualification. Both racers were given the same time of 1 hour 22.40 minutes, 20 seconds.
The appeal cost Mexico's Eder Sanchez the bronze.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press