Lewis-Francis world record scratched

Mark Lewis-Francis' record-breaking run in the 100metres second round of the World Championships in Edmonton will not stand.  

He became the first teenager in history to break the 10 seconds barrier when he clocked 9.97secs to qualify for the semi-final.

But the time will not be ratified as a World Junior record because of problems with the wind-gauge in the Commonwealth Stadium.

Lewis-Francis' time took 0.09 secs off the record set by fellow Brit Dwain Chambers in Ljubljana in 1997. The wind reading had been originally recorded at -2.3mps.

But the Birmingham sprinter, only the fourth Brit in history to dip under the 10-second barrier and now equal second fastest on the all-time list, will get another chance to break the record in the semi-final.

The wind readings began to be doubted after world and Olympic champion Maurice Greene, who will be in the same semi as Lewis-Francis, ran 9.88secs into a head-wind of 5mps in his second round heat.

Technical officials said it was a temporary malfunction which affected all five second round heats and three heats of the 200m in the women's heptathlon before being corrected for later races.