Yomi Omogbeja (03/02/2007)

African sprint champion Olusoji Fasuba earned himself a personal best as he kicks the season off on a fast note with a storming finish at the 21st edition of the Sparkassen Cup at the Stuttgart’s Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Germany.

The 23-year-old Nigerian powered out of the blocks in lane 3 in the final of the men’s 60 metres to win in a world-leading 6.49 seconds, just 0.01 seconds off the eight-year-old national record held by compatriot Deji Aliu (6.48 seconds set at the Indoor World Championships in Maebashi in 1999).

American Marcus Bronson was second in 6.51 seconds while British hopeful Craig Pickering was third in 6.57 seconds.

Fasuba had earlier ran 6.53 seconds  in his heat beating Pickering to the second place in 6.55 seconds.

Fasuba last year sprinted to an astonishing 9.85 seconds continental record on the heels of American Justin Gatlin’s World record equalling run in Doha May 2006.