Patrick Johnson, the first Australian sprinter to break the 10.00-second barrier for the 100m, finished fifth in the event at the Yokohama athletics meet.

Johnson clocked a time of 10.46s, way off the 9.93 he ran in May, also in Japan.

But the Queenslander remained the sprinter with the fastest time of this year.

World record holder Tim Montgomery was beaten in his last race of the season, losing to Obadele Thompson of Barbados.

The American, who set the world record of 9.78sec a year ago, wrapped up a disappointing season with a time of 10.32, well down on his third-place finishing time of 10.19 in Moscow last weekend.

Thompson, the Sydney Olympic bronze medallist, clocked 10.20, while Japan's Nobuharu Asahara came in third in 10.39.

"Right now, it's still stressful being the world record holder, and to have such a stressful season and not be able to perform to my potential. I need a break. I'll take a month off," said Montgomery.

Montgomery thought he had rediscovered some form after claiming a peanut allergy was to blame for his under-par performances in the early part of the season but after finishing a poor fifth in 10.11 at the world championships last month he left Paris the next day, leaving the US 4x100m relay team in the lurch.

However a relatively inexperienced American team showed they could do without him and Olympic champion Maurice Greene by taking gold.

Shawn Crawford and seasoned campaigner Chryste Gaines won the men's and women's 200m for the United States, respectively.

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