Former world champion Dwight Phillips became the joint fifth-best long jump performer of all time when he jumped to 8.74 meters at the Prefontaine Classic Grand Prix athletics meeting in Eugene, Oregon, Sunday. Phillips, the 2005 world title winner, outjmped Panamanian Olympic champion Irving Saladino by matching the longest jump in the world since 1994. Fellow American Mike Powell set the world record of 8.95 meters in 1991. Saladino was second (8.63). Only Powell, Bob Beamon, Carl Lewis and Robert Emmiyan have jumped farther than Phillips. Americans Larry Myricks and Erick Walder have equalled the distance. In other events, US Olympic champions Angelo Taylor and Dawn Harper both suffered defeat. Bershawn Jackson relegated Taylor to fourth in the men's 400m hurdles. American Jackson clocked 48.38 seconds. Harper failed to finish the women's 100m hurdles which US world champion Michelle Perry won in 12.74 seconds. Olympic bronze medallist Sanya Richard became the first of the year to dip under 50 seconds in the women's 400 metres. She won in 49.86 seconds.
