Stephen Francis, coach of Jamaica's world sprint record holder Asafa Powell, is appalled at the circumstances surrounding the revision of American Justin Gatlin's world 100-metre record run at the Qatar Super Grand Prix meet.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) announced Wednesday that because of a blunder in the timing of Friday's event, it was revising Gatlin's world record from 9.76 seconds to 9.77 seconds, equaling Powell's 2005 mark and leaving the two top sprinters as joint world record holders.

Francis expressed surprise that such an error could have been made, since the timing system should be configured to allow automatic -- not manual -- accuracy in fine-tuning the times.

Gatlin ran 9.766 seconds at the Qatar meeting for 100 meters, which was then announced as 9.76 seconds, a new world record for this distance.

But the rules stipulate that the time should have been rounded up to 9.77 instead of 9.76.

Dwayne Wade threw the ball into the stands to signal the end of New Jersey’s season. Wade stole Jason Kidd’s inbound pass as the last second ticked off Tuesday night, depriving the Nets of one last shot to extend their year and sealing the Heat’s 106-105 victory to win the series 4-1.

Miami is off to the East finals for the second straight year. The Heat will come up against either Detroit or Cleveland by Sunday.

The fifth game on Tuesday was an anticlimax to the start of the series when the three ‘musketeers’, Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson set a blazing pace to win game one in Miami, 102 - 88. Miami came back to blow out the Nets, 111-89, setting the stage for a very exciting series in which the fans were convinced that this would be a seven game series where the Nets would give the Heat an epic battle.

But it was Antoine Walker who was the x-factor.

International umpire Steve Bucknor feels he is being kept from standing in matches in the Caribbean for no apparent reason

Bucknor, is the World's jost decorated umpire, but last Sunday's second One-day International between West Indies and Zimbabwe in Antigua was his first match in the region for five years.

He previously stood in an ODI between West Indies and South Africa at the same venue, and is looking forward to doing more games in the region.

"I feel I should be working more in the Caribbean because there are many young umpires I could help, " he told reporters recently.

World and Olympic sprint champion Justin Gatlin tuned up for a possible world record clash with Jamaican Asafa Powell this season, with a 9.95 seconds win at the Osaka World Athletics Tour Meet yesterday.

After a good start, the 23 year-old American showed his trademark explosive mid-race acceleration to distance himself from second placed American Marcus Brunson (10.14) and local sprinter, 2003 World championships 200 metres bronze medallist Shingo Suetsugu (10.28).

"This is a good start to the season," said Gatlin.

"I wanted to go sub-10, and to do that in my first meet sets a good tone for breaking the world record."