Hicham El Guerrouj came up short on Sunday in his attempt to improve his own mile world record at the Rieti Grand Prix in Italy.

　　The Moroccan clocked 3 minutes, 50.20 seconds, the best time this year but far off his own world record of 3:43.13 set in Rome in 1999. The previous world record of 3:44.39 was set in Rieti by Algerian Noureddine Morceli in 1993.

　　El Guerrouj had asked organizers to extend the usual 1,500-meter event to the mile.

　　After winning successive 1,500s at the worlds last month in Paris and at the Golden League meet on Friday in Brussels, El Guerrouj had to hold off a late challenge from Kenyan Alex Kipchirchir, who was second in 3:50.25.

　　"I was too tired after Paris and after Brussels," El Guerrouj said. "I was really dead out there today. I had to race five times in Paris and then again in Brussels. I'll try again next year."

　　Jamaica's Asafa Powell won the 100 meters following two false starts and the disqualifications of Shawn Crawford of the United States, and Uchenna Emedolu of the Ukraine.

　　Powell won in 10.12 and Coby Miller of the United States was runner-up in 10.25.

　　Powell was tipped to make the final in Paris before he was disqualified under the new false start rule, which ejects any sprinter following a first false start.

　　"It makes it very difficult. You have to sit in the blocks so you never get a great start," Powell said on Sunday.

　　In the 400-meter hurdles, Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic exten-ded his two-year unbeaten streak, winning in 48.62.

　　Sanchez, the two-time world champion, arrived in Rieti a few days earlier than most of the other athletes and had record-setting expectations, but he appeared to slow down in the final stretch.

　　New pole vault world champion Giuseppe Gibilisco of Italy thrilled the crowd at this meet northeast of Rome by taking another title, at 5.81 meters.

　　Gibilisco's supporters sat in specially placed stands near the pole vault area, in front of large signs that read "Bravo Gibilisco."

　　Slovakia's Jolanda Ceplak easily won the women's 800 in 1:58.26 and Marina Kislova of Russia won the 100 in 11.22.

　　Hezekiel Sepeng of South Africa surged past local favorite Andrea Longo to win the men's 800 in 1:44.85. Longo crossed the line in 1:44.96. Chris Phillips won the 110 hurdles in 13.35, ahead of fellow American Ron Bramlett.

　　In Szombathely, Hungary, European champion and world runner-up Adrian Annus of Hungary won the men's hammer event of the IAAF World Athletics Final on Sunday.

　　In the women's event, world champion Yipsi Moreno of Cuba continued her dominance by winning with 73.42 meters.