CATHERINA McKIERNAN clocked 14 minutes 55.39 seconds to finish second behind Ethiopia's Derartu Tulu in the 5,000 metres in the Paris suburb of St Denis last night. Tulu finished in a time of 14:50.88.

"I was hoping I'd be able to hold Tulu off but she was just too powerful," said McKiernan.

Frankie Fredericks scorched to victory in the 100 metres with an impressive time of 9.95 seconds, his best of the season and only surpassed this year by Trinidadian Ato Boldon.

Fredericks, the 200 metres world silver medallist, beat Olapade Adeniken of Nigeria (10.17) and the United States' Terry Bowen (10.19).