A timing mistake has stripped world and Olympic champion Justin Gatlin of a stand-alone world record time in the men's 100m, world athletics ruling body announced Wednesday.

Gatlin was timed at 9.76secs at a IAAF Grand Prix meeting in Doha on May 12, a mark which was one-hundredths of a second faster than the existing world record set by Jamaica's Asafa Powell in last June in Athens.

But in a statement today, the IAAF said the actual timing for the American was 9.766secs which meant it should have been rounded up to 9.77 and not 9.76.

"The IAAF has just been informed by Tissot Timing of an error in the reading of the result.

"Therefore, Gatlin's time will now be adjusted to 9.77, and pending ratification, will equal the previous 100m world record of Asafa Powell set in 2005," the IAAF statement said.

The news sets the scene for a future mouth-watering showdown between Gatlin and Powell, although it has been notoriously difficult for event organisers to pin down their agents and get the two sprinters on the same track.

After Gatlin's Doha run, Powell, the recently-crowned Commonwealth champion, vowed to reclaim the record.

"He has borrowed the record. I will get it back. I am capable of running 9.60," said Powell who has already run 9.95 this season.

Powell on Sunday reacted strongly to a report indicating that Gatlin might not take him on at the June 11 grand prix in Gateshead, England.

"I heard he pulled out, but I don't know why," Powell said. "Last year he was saying that I am a coward, so this year, if he pulls out of anything again, I am going to say he is a coward," Powell said.

USA Today quoted Gatlin's agent, ex-hurdles great Renaldo Nehemiah, as indicating the next meeting between the two was up in the air.

"Everybody's clamouring for the first meeting," Nehemiah said.

"I would say they'll meet this year maybe two times. Maybe once. No more than three," he added, not mentioning Gateshead specifically.

AFP