Trinidad and Tobago’s Berlin World Championships 100 metres finalist Marc Burns was third yesterday at the British Grand Prix behind Tyson Gay.

Gay won his first race since a second place finish at the World Championships and then said he would be having surgery at the end of the season to cure a lingering groin injury.

Gay clocked 10.15 seconds running into a headwind, finishing well ahead of former world champ Kim Collins of St Kitts and Nevis and Burns who finished in a virtual dead heat.

’I’m looking forward to Brussels (Friday), maybe one more race and then we’re going to get surgery,’ the American said after finishing 0.29 ahead.

’I felt great with my second-place finish (in Berlin). I ran a great time, just wasn’t fast enough.’

Gay got a great start at Gateshead and was well away from the field by halfway to win by more than two metres. Collins was given second place ahead of Burns even though they had the same time of 10.44.

Olympic and world 400-metre champion LaShawn Merritt won his 15th race in a row but clocked a slow 45.11 seconds in the damp and blustery conditions, finishing two metres ahead of Britain’s Martyn Rooney with Angelo Taylor third. Kerron Clement, the two-time world 400-metre hurdle world champion from the US, placed sixth in 45.77.

’I’m feeling great,’ Merritt said. ’I had a great season last year - won Olympic Games. Came to this year and my main focus was the World Championships. I got there, took it through the rounds, got to the final. I’m world champion now.

’I ran in Zurich two days ago and ran 44.2, second fastest time in the year. I just want to finish my season off. I have one more race after this, the World Athletics Final (in Thessaloniki, Greece, September 12-13).’

Shawn Crawford, the 2004 Olympic champion, held off Wallace Spearmon to win the 200 metres in 20.80 seconds.

American sprinter Carmelita Jeter won the women’s 100 metres, running 11.08 seconds into a strong headwind and countrywoman Allyson Felix, the three-time world champion, recovered from a poor start to cruise to an easy but slow victory in the 200 in 23.13.

World champion Brigitte Foster-Hylton of Jamaica pulled away to win the 100 hurdles in 12.88.

Bernard Lagat was surprisingly beaten in the 3,000 metres by Moses Kipsiro of Uganda.

Lagat appeared well placed to attack the leader coming off the final bend but Kipsiro kicked and was pulling away at the line to win in 7 minutes 35.69 seconds. Lagat was second, 0.99 slower.