ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) Showing the swagger that comes from being world champion, Yohan Blake ran a personal best time of 9.82 seconds to win the 100 metres at the Weltklasse meeting yesterday.

The 21-year-old Jamaican stumbled slightly out of the blocks and had no wind assistance on a still night, yet ran .07 seconds faster than ever before. His time left him ranked seventh on the all-time list.

"I knew I had this in me. I wanted to show people I can do it and run under pressure," said Blake, who seized the world title last week in Daegu, South Korea after his training partner Usain Bolt was disqualified for a false start.

"I feel fast. I feel like I can lift up a mountain but being a champion that is how you feel," Blake said.

Another young world champion to shine in a star-studded Diamond League line-up was Kirani James in the 400 metres.

The 19-year-old from Grenada ran a personal best of

44.36 to repeat his Daegu victory over Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt of the United States.

Other world champions to win included Sally Pearson of Australia in the 100m hurdles, Mariya Savinova of Russia in the 800m and Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya in the women's 5,000m.

Yelena Isinbayeva was beaten again in the pole vault, finishing third after a single clearance at 4.62 metres, as American Jennifer Suhr won at 4.72.

Yet it was Blake in centre stage just 10 days after he was almost unknown to all but athletics aficionados. He had won the gold medal in 9.92 into a headwind to set his previous season-best time.

Blake's dash in his first individual race since was the fourth fastest legal time this year, just .04 behind Asafa Powell's 9.78 performance at the Lausanne Diamond League meet in June.

Powell finished second in 9.95 yesterday, though nursing a hip injury that caused him to miss the World Championships.

"I didn't want to try to push and injure myself," said Powell, who led at the halfway stage but stood up straighter in the closing strides as he looked left at Blake's winning surge. "It was a good race for (Blake). He had a good start."

In fact, Blake's reaction time was faster than only two others, including world silver medallist Walter Dix of the United States.

"I think that I stumbled in the first 10 metres. I quickly made it up and I came through victorious," said Blake, who will run his final scheduled 100m of the season in Berlin on Sunday.

Dix placed third in 10.04 and 'Worlds' bronze medalist Kim Collins of Saint Kitts and Nevis was fifth in 10.09.

In the 400m, James lowered his previous lifetime best from the Daegu final by 0.24, and was just .01 outside Merritt's world-leading time.

"I executed the race perfectly," said James, dismissing talk of a sub-44 run soon. "I will be happy to run at least 44.35 next year."

Merritt lost his world title by .03 last week but trailed by 0.31 this time.

Dayron Robles proved a point in the 110m hurdles after his disqualification at the 'Worlds'.

The Cuban world record holder ran his season-best time of 13.01 secs, as gold medallist Jason Richardson of the US trailed by .09 in second.

"Great satisfaction for me after Daegu," Robles acknowledged.

Carmelita Jeter again beat American teammate Allyson Felix in the 200m, winning in 22.27. World champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica was one of the few gold medallists to miss the Weltklasse.

In a thrilling finish to the women's 800m, Savinova outlasted Alysia Montano of the US to cross in one minute 58.27 seconds. Caster Semenya of South Africa was fifth.

Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya, who swept the worlds 5,000 and 10,000, ran 25 seconds faster than her Daegu time winning the 5,000 in 14:30.10 seconds.

World champion Ezekiel Kemboi won the 3,000-metre steeplchase in 8:07.72, and Kenya also took the men's 1,500m. However, gold medallist Asbel Kiprop was seventh as Nixon Chepseba won in 3:32.74.

Jamaica's Kaliese Spencer reversed her 400m hurdles form after being fourth in Daegu. Spencer clocked 53.36 to edge silver medallist Melaine Walker into second, with world champion Lashinda Demus of the US in third.

Ngonidzashe Makusha of Zimbabwe, the 'Worlds' bronze medallist, won the men's long jump with an opening leap of 8.00 metres. Four-time world champion Dwight Phillips of the US was fourth, at 7.87.

Dimitrios Chondrokoukis of Greece had a lifetime best leap of 2.32 metres to win the high jump, and two-time world champion Robert Harting of Germany won the discus. Christina Obergfoell of Germany won the javelin at 69.57.

The Weltklasse meeting started Wednesday evening in the entrance hall at Zurich's main train station where the shot put events were staged, won by women's world champion Valerie Adams of New Zealand and Canada's 'Worlds' silver medallist Dylan Armstrong.

The Diamond League season ends September 16 with the second half of the finals programme at the Van Damme Memorial meet in Brussels.