Lausanne-based Maryam Yusuf Jamal from Bahrain, the Asian record holder in the 1500m with 3:56.18, ran the fastest time in the world over the mile distance, running 4:22.34 at the International meeting in Genèva improving previous 2007 best set by Australian Lisa Corrigan by 0.32 seconds.

The other international star in the swiss EAP (European Athletics Promotion) meeting was former 400 metres Hurdles World champion Jana Pittman Rawlinson who lowered her seasonal best from 55.52 to 55.19, showing progress in the second seasonal outing in her competive comeback after giving birth to her first child Cornelis last year.

European indoor champion David Gillick took the win in the 400m in 45.23, a national record for Ireland. The previous record, 45.58, was set by Paul McKee five years ago.

Italian sprinters made the trip to the swiss city to test their form two weeks before the European Cup First League in Milan on 23-24 June. The Italian 4x100 relay team made up of Fabio Cerutti, Simone Collio, Luca Verdecchia and Jacques Riparelli clocked a European seasonal best of 38.63 which also currently ranks fourth in the world this year.

Twenty-two-year-old sprinter Marco Cribari from Switzerland set the qualifying standard for the World Championships in Osaka running the 200 metres in 20.54, the second fastest time in Europe in 2007 behind German Tobias Unger’s 20.48 in Regensburg.

Great Britain’s Rikki Fifton ran the fastest time in the 100 metres sprint with 10.20 beating Italian surprise Jacques Riparelli, this year’s national university champion, who improved his lifetime best to 10.25 beating 2004 World indoor finalist Simone Collio by 0.01 seconds.

Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF