Great City Games

Bernard Lagat narrowly beaten by Mo Farah for the World Championships 5,000 gold medal gave Team USA a winning start to the competition with an emphatic victory in the mile.

Lagat an experienced mile road runner showed his class when virtually leading from the start, he won in a time of 4:06.01 which included a last 400m completed in 57sec.

Behind the former World 1,500 champion but off the pace in the last 600m, was his team mate Kyle Miller who clocked 4:08.14 with Great Britain's 800 title holder Andrew Osagie placing third in 4:09.53.

Danielle Carruthers and Dawn Harper the World silver and bronze medallists showed their outstanding class when easily defeating the Brit pair of Sara McGreavy and Ashley Helsby.

Harper the reigning Olympic champion on this occasion and in a thrilling finish won by 0.03sec in 12.73 to equal the Great CityGames record which Carruthers set in Manchester at the other venue staging the innovative event outside of a stadium in May.

Carruthers was competing after just three hours sleep having flown in earlier in the morning from Brussels where she had collected US$40,000 when winning the overall Samsung Diamond League title. McGreavy a distant third clocked 13.46.

The Aviva GB&NI's team's first victory came in the mile with Hannah England leading Helen Clitheroe across the line and Treniere Moser taking third for the USA.

Clitheroe after a slowish first 400m hit the front and forced the pace along with England the surprise World 1500 silver medallist in Daegu covering her every move.

It came down to a sprint finish, England proving the faster finisher to win 4:39.49. Clitheroe the reigning European Indoor 3,000 gold medallist clocked 4:40.65 with a fading Moser crossing the line in 4:44.05.

Mo Farah in his first appearance on British soil since winning the World 5,000 title and taking silver over 10,000 roared to an uncomplicated victory over two miles.

Farah who turned down the opportunity to compete in the previous evening's SDL meet in Brussels so he could celebrate for the first time his Daegu success in front of home fans, didn't disappoint them with his solid display.

The USA based athlete bided his time initially in the pack and then with the first mile passed in 4:21 moved into second place as American Brian Olinger who had led from the start began to stretch the field.

But with 600 remaining Farah burst clear to open a healthy gap and cross the line in 8:37.72. Olinger was rewarded for his pace making efforts taking second with a mark of 8:42.15 with his colleague Jeff See third in 8:46.34.

A brilliant 100 victory from Harry Aikines-Aryeetey with Christian Malcolm virtually in his slipstream saw the host nation take the lead for the first time in the team event.

Aikines-Aryeetey the former World junior champion flew down the track to score maximum points with victory in 10.27sec with Malcolm in his wake clocking 10.45, as excited spectators roared on the their encouragement.

Their thrilling 1-2 destroyed the threat from Team USA's whose first man across the line was Jeff Porter in 10.56.

Team USA quickly bounced back to even the scores when Becky Holliday won the pole vault and despite the windy conditions go clear with a first time clearance at a height of 4.27 metres.

That saw the American foil the ambitions of UK record Holly Bleasdale who missed all three vault at that height and had to settle for second with a best effort of 4.12m. GB's Lucy Bryan cleared 3.76m for third.

Team USA went to the top of the leader board again although there was a shock defeat for four time World long jump champion Dwight Phillips who on afternoon to forget finished last in the four man field.

Fortunately team mate Jeremy Hicks the USA Championships bronze medallist flew the star spangled barrier brilliantly after Phillips' demise with his winning effort of 7.84 metres coming in the first round.

Great Britain's J.J. Jegede finished runner up his furthest of 7.72m also coming with his opening attempt while his colleague Ezekiel Ewolu had a best effort of 7.51 for third with his second attempt.

World 100 gold medallist and overall Samsung Diamond League champion Carmelita Jeter produced an awesome performance over 150 when burning up the track to win at a canter from her rivals.

Jeter the World's second fastest ever 100 performer who has had the finest season of her career showed no tiredness from the Brussels event with the USA title holder spread-eagling the field in a time 16.50.

That constituted a new CityGames record and was the world's fastest ever beating the mark of 16.54 Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie of the Bahamas’ ran in Manchester two years ago and saw her finish well clear of Brit pair Anyika Onuora and Abi Oyepitan who clocked 16.90 and 16.98 who broke the UK record of 16.99 set by Jessica Ennis last year in Manchester.

Walter Dix who also competed in Brussels where he ran an exceptional personal 200 best time of 19.53sec and like Jeter displaying no signs of his exertions in the Belgian capital produced maximum points in his first ever straight 150.

Dix the World 100 and 200 silver medallist from Daegu tore up the track to win in a time of 14.65 from of Marlon Devonish who lowered his UK best performance set in last year's England v Australia match to 14.87. The USA's Maurice Mitchell was third in 15.08.

World champion Jason Richardson with overall victory already assured still didn't hold anything back as he roared to a World class performance of 13.16 and decimated the CityGames record of 13.37 set by Andy Turner in Manchester last year.

Richardson shone ahead of his rivals although team mate and US2008 Olympic bronze medallist David Oliver made him fight every inch of the way and also finished inside the old record with a time of 13.36.

Behind the ace duo William Sharman and Turner nursing an Achilles injury posted times of 13.82 and 14.08.