Brian Wellman at the Sestriere Grand Prix meet yesterday.

In his first competition since his sixth-place finish at the Atlanta Olympics, Wellman finished second behind Britain's Olympic silver medalist Jonathan Edwards.

Better yet, his leap of 17.53 metres was probably his best since he the 17.62 he used to win the silver medal at last year's world championships. That was the meet in which Edwards set the world record with a jump of 18.29 metres.

Yesterday Edwards won with a wind-aided 17.67 metres on his sixth and final jump.

"It was disappointing not to do better but I was tired after the Olympics ... I think we were all feeling a bit flat,'' he told reporters.

Sestriere is the only place to regularly hold international athletics meets more than 2,000 metres above sea level -- an altitude which can help boost athletes' performances.

Two years ago Sergei Bubka broke his pole vault world record here while in 1995, Cuba's Ivan Pedroso set a new long jump mark, although it was later annulled.

Many competitors travelled to this ski resort in northwestern Italy direct from Atlanta in the hope of setting world records. None of them managed to shake off their jet lag and find the inspiration, despite the fact organisers were offering a new Ferrari sports car to any record breakers.

Most eyes yesterday were on Britain's Linford Christie, who ran his first 100 metres race since his shock disqualification in the Olympic final. But Christie could only manage second place yesterday behind Canada's Bruny Surin, who was part of Canada's triumphant 4x100 metres Olympic relay squad. Surin won in a time of 10.17 seconds with Christie trailing in more than a 10th of a second behind.

Allen Johnson, who won the Olympic gold medal in 110 metres hurdles, said he was convinced the world record was now within his grasp. Racing alongside current record holder Colin Jackson of Britain, Johnson won the race, but his time of 13.25 was well outside Jackson's record of 12.91 set in 1993.