Rudisha sets mark as Powell continues Games exodus

Rudisha clocked a time of one minute 41.09 seconds, taking 0.02secs off the previous mark set by Denmark's Wilson Kipketer almost exactly 13 years ago.

Rudisha's run came at the Olympic stadium in Berlin, where he was a semi-finalist in last year's World Championships.

Semenya famously won the women's event in the same championships in a stunning time of 1:55.45, finishing well clear of the field.

However, the South African was then at the centre of a storm of controversy as doubts were raised about her gender, the 19-year-old eventually being cleared to run again on July 6 this year. She won her first two races back in low-key meetings in Finland, clocking 2:04.22 and 2:02.41, but improved significantly to dip under two minutes with a time of 1:59.90.

Asafa Powell appears set to be the latest star athlete to pull out of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi this October.

The reigning Commonwealth 100 metres champion is not at peak fitness according to agent Paul Doyle, and that may prompt him to skip an event already dogged by withdrawals.

"A final decision is imminent, but it's looking extremely unlikely at best that Asafa will be in India," Doyle said.

Fellow sprint star Usain Bolt has already pulled out, alongside several who would have carried medal hopes for Britain including Paula Radcliffe, Jessica Ennis, Jenny Meadows, Natasha Danvers, Sir Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins, Victoria Pendleton and Beth Tweddle.

City of Sheffield won the final match in the British League Division 1 at Liverpool on Saturday giving them a massive lead at the top of the table to ensure a speedy return to the Premier Division.

Although they had no maximum-point events they had several near misses. Lee Doran, celebrating his selection for Wales in the Commonwealth Games, won the javelin with 66.86 with the versatile middle distance runner Sam Ellis finishing runner up in the B event (54.98). Ellis won the B 800 metres in 1:52.00 with his team-mate Mukhtar Mohammed runner-up in the A race in 1:51.80. Ellis, winner of the B 400 (48.20) completed a busy afternoon as part of the winning 4x400m team along with Mohammed, Matt Quine and Richard Buck.

International 400m runner Buck, dropped down to 200 and finished third in 21.80. With Todd Marshall runner up in the B race (22.40) it was a good event for Sheffield.

Jamie Williamson won the shot for Sheffield with a throw of 16.01) and there were good points for Sheffield in the high jump through Ben Mourbey, second in 1.95 and Lloyd Powell, first in the B with 1.90 whilst in the pole vault Paul Hallworth was runner up with 4.40.

There was disappointment for Leeds City as they finished seventh in London, consigning them to bottom spot and relegation to Division 3.