Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor

Left: Jamaica's Usain Bolt sprints home in the men's 100-metre during the athletics competitions in the National Stadium at the Beijing Olympics. Right: Jamaica's Asafa Powell runs in the men's 100-metre heat during the athletics competitions in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, last night. - ap photos

BEIJING

Jamaica's top two sprint stars Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt, hardly broke a sweat as they, along with teammate Michael Frater, easily advanced in their opening heats of the men's 100 metres on the first morning of track and field at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

World-record holder Bolt hardly came out of a trot in posting 10.20 seconds in winning heat one from Antigua and Barbuda's Daniel Bailey, 10.24.

While Powell, who according to reports had complained of cramps early Friday morning, posted 10.16, just doing enough to keep ahead of 2003 World Champion Kim Collins of St Kitts and Nevis, 10.17. Craig Pickering of Great Britain, 10.21, was third. Powell was seen lying on the track and clutching his stomach shortly after the race, but walked briskly through the mixed zone. Bolt and Powell went through the area without any comments.

As expected Frater, the 2005 World Championships 100 metres silver medallist had to work a little bit harder in his qualifying event but still looked comfortable winning his heat in 10.15 seconds, easing up at the end.

Frater thought that was that it was a good run.

"It was pretty easy, pretty good. It's hard to get anything from the heats. The track, I don't know if it felt better than any other track, but it feels good," Frater said.

American Tyson Gay, who has been out of action since sustaining an injury in late June, took heat five in a very modest 10.22.

At press time, the fastest qualifier was Great Britain's Tyrone Edgar who won heat six in 10.13.