Harare — ONE of Zimbabwe's top sprinters Young Talkmore Nyongani found the going tough at the Bislett Golden League track and field meet in Oslo, Norway, last Friday night.

Nyongani, who is likely to be included in the Zimbabwe team for next month's World Championships in Berlin, Germany, performed badly in his favourite event -- the men's 400m race.

According to reports from Oslo, Nyongani finished a disappointing sixth and last place in 46.21 seconds.

The race was won by Renny Renny Quow of Trinidad and Tobago, who clocked 45.18sec, beating top French sprinter Leslie Djhone (45.37s) into second place.

African champion Gary Kikaya of the Democratic Republic of Congo settled for third place in 45.53sec.

Sean Wroe of Australia (45.74sec), American Jamaal Torrance (45.74sec) and Nyongani (46.21sec) filled the last three places.

On a day in which Asafa Powell of Jamaica ran away with the men's 100m race in 10.07s, Nyongani did not have enough gas in his system to power him to victory in the 400m event.

His time (46.21sec) was well outside his personal best of 44.96sec, achieved in March 2005 in Pretoria.

Friday night's Golden League event in Oslo also saw Sanya Richards of the United States setting a year best time in winning the women's 400m in 49.23sec.

Richards is now gunning for the jackpot, having already won the Golden League opener in 49.57sec in Berlin last month.

In the sprint events, former world 100m record-holder Powell won the men's 100m in a time of 10.07sec, edging Antiguan Daniel Bailey in a photo finish as he took full advantage of scheduling problems which ruled out the Americans and also triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt.

But Powell failed to achieve his aim of a 50th sub-10sec showing in conditions which began in sweltering heat prior to a storm which briefly interrupted the evening's business.

Jamaican Michael Frater was third in 10.08.

Trinidadian Quow won the 400m honours in 45.18 while in the 800m Russia's Yuriy Borzakovskiy clocked 1:44.42 to beat out Saudi Arabia's Mohamed Al Salhi.

Africa, as ever, dominated the longer distances with Kenyan Collins Cheboi picking off the 1500m in 3:36.24 ahead of compatriot Geoffrey Kipkoech Rono (3:36.96) and Morocco's Fouad Elkaam (3:37.19).

In the mile, Ethiopia's Deresse Mekonnen clocked a winning 3:48.95 to best Kenya's William Biwott (3:49.29).

The 3000m was an all-Kenyan affair as Richard Bartale timed 7:50.58 to oust Henry Kiplagat (7:54.00) and Mike Tuiny (7:57.54).

In the 5000m, Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele bested Qatari James Kwalia in clocking 13:04.87 as Kenyan Vincent Kiprop Chepkok took third.

With triple Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba not at the Bislett Stadium to defend her 5000m mark of 14:11.65, fellow Ethiopian Meseret Defar won in a comfortable 14:36.38 with Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya second in 14:37.01 and Ethiopian Meselech Melkamu third in 14:37.50.

Jamaica's Kerron Stewart won the 100m in 10.99sec to oust Trinidadian Kelly Ann Baptiste (11.14) and Bahamas' Chandra Sturrup (11.15).

Claire Gibson gave Britain a win in the 800m which she won in 2:01.42 ahead of Norway's Ingvill Makestad and Kenya's Nelly Jepkosgei.

Kenya's Ruth Bisibori Nyangau won the 3000m steeplechase in 9:18.65 to keep Ethiopian pair Sofia Assefa and Mekdes Bekele at bay.

Russian Olympic polevault champion Yelena Isinbayeva meanwhile shared her honours in clearing 4.71 m along with Monika Pyrek of Poland.

The Oslo results mean six athletes are still in line to claim the Golden League US$1million jackpot if they land wins at all six venues in the series.

They are, among the men, Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia in the 3000m or 5000m and Finland's javelin star Tero Pitkamaki, and, among the women, Jamaican sprinter Kerron Stewart, Richards in the 400m, fellow American Damu Cherry in the 100m hurdles and Isinbayeva in the polevault.

The next race in the series is Rome, Italy, on July 10, then Paris, France, a week later before Zurich, Switzerland, on August 28 and then Brussels, Belgium, on September 4.