American Trey Hardee was in control after the first three events of the decathlon at the World Athletics Championships here on Wednesday, his performances having netted him 2,814 points.
Cuban Leonel Suarez, favourite for the 10-sport, two-day event in the absence of Olympic champion Bryan Clay of the United States, was in 14th position after failing to even get close to personal best in the 100m and long jump events.
The Olympic bronze medallist managed 11.13sec in the 100m, ranking 26th out of the 38 starting competitors, and 7.24m in the long jump, 18cm short of his best. But at least he recorded a personal best of 15.20m in the shot to finish the morning session in 14th spot on 2,505 points.
In the 100m the 25-year-old Hardee set the fastest time, a very decent 10.45sec, to net 987 points, compared to the Cuban's 832.
There was earlier heartbreak for reigning world silver medallist Maurice Smith of Jamaica who pulled up during the 100m with what looked like a hamstring injury.
Hardee jumped a personal best of 7.83m in the long jump for second spot behind compatriot Ashton Eaton and after two events, Hardee on 2,004 points, with Eaton in second on 1,990 and Ukraine's Oleksiy Kasyanov in third at 35.
Suarez was in 23rd position on 1,703.
"I thought I'd do better in the first two events," admitted Suarez. "I hope to do better later on to try to get one of the field leads in the high jump or 400m.
"I was feeling good and I don't know what happened in the 100m.
"But I'm aiming for a podium finish to follow up on my Beijing performance."
The shot saw Hardee consolidate his lead, Eaton drop to sixth after a poor 12.26m putt, and Kasyanov leap-frog up to second with a 15.72m putt.
Russian Aleksandr Pogorelov was in third on 2,695 points.
Reigning world champion Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic was in fifth on 2,623 points after clocking 11.16sec over the 100m, jumping a best of 7.80m and putting 14.98m in the shot.
The decathletes will compete in the high jump and 400m in the evening session. The second day of competition on Thursday sees them compete in the 110m hurdles, the discus, pole vault, javelin and the 1500m.
Copyright 2009 AFP Global Edition
