Hattestad improves her own javelin world mark

Trine Hattestad broke the world women's javelin record for the second time within a month before her home crowd at the Bislett Games Golden League meeting in Oslo last night.

Trine Hattestad broke the world women's javelin record for the second time within a month before her home crowd at the Bislett Games Golden League meeting in Oslo last night.

The 34-year-old former world champion hurled the redesigned javelin 69.48 metres with her sixth and final throw to break her own mark of 68.22 set at the Rome Golden League meeting on 30 June. The new javelin was introduced last year to reduce distances.

Gail Devers, denied a chance to defend her Olympic 100m title after finishing out of the top three places in the United States trials, confirmed she will start favourite for the 100m hurdles in Sydney with an untroubled win in 12.56sec. "Not making the team for the 100m was a blessing in disguise," she said. "With being injured I haven't had much time for the sprint."

Another world champion, Australia's Cathy Freeman, who will carry the weight of a nation's expectations on her shoulders at the Olympics, won the 400m in 50.74.

"I'm in the middle of quite a tough training period right now," said Freeman, who is currently living and training in London. "So I think the time was quite OK."

America's Adam Nelson won the men's shot put ahead of the world gold medallist, C J Hunter, with 21.43m.

Maurice Greene has been forced to withdraw from the British Grand Prix at Crystal Palace on 5 August because of injury. The world 100m champion, who pulled up with a hamstring injury during his 200m race against Michael Johnson at the US Olympic trials, is expected to have a two-week lay-off from competition, although he has started training again.

Greene's manager, Emmanuel Hudson, said: "Maurice was suffering from cramp. He's had a couple of days' rest and now he's back in training. But he won't be ready for London."

Ato Boldon, the world 200m champion, has confirmed he will run in the 100m at the Grand Prix where he will take on Donovan Bailey, of Canada, and Britain's Darren Campbell.

Johnson reaffirmed yesterday that he would not run any more 200m races this year, but did not rule out running the distance again in the future. "Even though I indicated that in my preparations for the 400m in the Olympic Games I would not be running any more 200m races this year, I never intended this plan to be interpreted as my retirement from the 200m," Johnson said. "My competition plans for next season are still completely open."

Rudi Thiel, the director of the Berlin Golden League meeting on 1 September, said on Wednesday that Johnson wanted to run the 200m there, but Johnson's personal website has him scheduled to run the 400m in Berlin. It also lists a 300m race in Malmo on 5 August and a 400m in Zurich on 11 August. Meetings in Brussels and Rieti, where Johnson was to run 200m, remain on the schedule with no event listed.

Denise Lewis, Britain's reigning European and Commonwealth heptathlon champion, contests the seven events for the first time since winning the silver medal in the World Championships last September.