Melvin Lister at the US track & field trials in Sacramento. (AFP)

Sacramento: Triple-jumper Melvin Lister delivered the most stunning result of the ninth day of the US Olympic trials on Saturday with a world best leap this year of 17.78 metres.

The 26-year-old former collegiate champion saved his longest jump for his last attempt and achieved a lifetime best by 70 centimetres that boosted him from fourth to first in the standings.

Only the top three in each event make the team for Athens.

Walter Davis leaped 17.63m and Kenta Bell bounded 17.58m to join Lister on the American squad.

Monique Hennagan provided another stunner when she ran a personal-best 49.56 seconds to win the women’s 400m.

It was the second-best performance in the world this year and the best by an American in seven years. Collegian Sanya Richards was also under 50 seconds, finishing in 49.89.

World champion Tom Pappas was beaten in the decathlon.

Pappas, considered one of the Olympic favourites, could not match Bryan Clay’s string of three personal bests. Clay finished with a lifetime best score of 8,660 points. Pappas wound up with 8,517.

Breaux Greer repeated as the Olympic trials javelin champion with a throw of 82.39 metres.

In qualifying, Shawn Crawford continued his sparkling 200m running by clocking 20.00 seconds in his semi-final.

World champion John Capel, world silver-medallist Darvis Patton and trials’ 100m runner-up Justin Gatlin will also be in the final.

World champion and Olympic favourite Allen Johnson led qualifying in the 110m hurdles in 13.25 seconds and Gail Devers was the second fastest in the women’s 100 hurdles in 12.79 seconds. (Reuters)