By Ed Gordon for the IAAF, February 7, 2010

Stuttgart, Germany - A tantalizingly close distance world-record attempt and the fastest sprint performance in 11 years were just a sample of the eight world-leading marks and three meeting records at 24th Sparkassen-Cup meeting in Stuttgart, the third of nine IAAF Indoor Permit Meetings, on Saturday (6).

Major breakthrough for Jones-Ferrette

The big eye-opener of the programme came from Laverne Jones-Ferrette, who sped down the outside lane of the sprint apron to a world-leading 6.97 in the Women’s 60m, the first sub-7.00 run in more than a decade. Not since Ekaterini Thanou won the 1999 World Indoor Championships in Maebashi with 6.96 has the distance been covered as fast. In all, only five others have covered the distance faster.

The US Virgin Islands sprinter had less distraction after Chandra Sturrup, originally on her outside, was disqualified after a false start.  Leading the field out of the blocks, Jones-Ferrette smoothly covered the distance in a time that shocked even herself.

“I always felt with my form I could run faster, but to run under seven seconds I never ever thought about that - it is a big surprise,” Jones-Ferrette said.

Carmelita Jeter of the US finished second in a PB 7.05, a clocking which would have led the world in six of the last eight seasons.  Far back in third was France’s Miryam Soumaré in 7.19.