News Archive
Long Jump Men: Gao wins China’s cheers with narrow win
Gao Xinglong took only three jumps in the much-anticipated men’s long jump tonight but his second round effort of 8.14 was enough to take victory by the narrowest of margins from Rushwal Samaai. No-one threatened the South African’s world lead of 8.34, but Gao delighted the crowd by holding on for victory thanks to his second best effort of 8.09, just 2cm better than Samaai’s. Australia’s world silver medallist Fabrice Lapierre was third with 8.09 as Gao’s young compatriots Wang Jianan, Zhang Yaoguang and Huang Changzhou filled places five to seven behind last year’s world number one, Jeff Henderson.
Pole Vault Men: Lavillenie beaten as Kendricks claims lifetime best
Sam Kendricks produced the highest vault of his life to beat world record holder Renaud Lavillenie and world champion Shawn Barber and move to second on this year’s world list with an unexpected victory. The world indoor silver medallist added 6cm to his lifetime best with a third time clearance at 5.88. Lavillenie could go no higher than 5.83, where Kendricks had only just survived, as the Frenchman’s Diamond Race defence got off to a losing start. The Olympic champion then failed twice at 5.88 before making one effort at 5.93. Barber was third, but the Canadian was well below his best with 5.70.
110m Hurdles Men: Jamaicans dominate as McLeod goes sub-13
Omar McLeod produced the year’s first sub-13 second performance to take a commanding victory over countryman Hansle Parchment and move clear at the top of the sprint hurdles Diamond League standings. Unfazed by two false starts, the world indoor champion was out like a bullet alongside his elder compatriot and controlled his race perfectly to move clear of the world silver medallist over the last two barriers. He thrust his bright yeloow headband across the line in 12.98, just one hundredth outside his personal best as Parchment clocked 13.12 in second with China’s Xie Wenjun delighting the home crowd by placing third in 13.34. Former world champion and last year’s winner David Oliver was fifth while fellow American Aries Merritt was the second to false start after Spaniard Orlando Ortega had already moved too soon.
5000m Men: World lead as unexpected Edris explodes to victory
A storming last 200m brought victory for the unfancied Muktar Edris who won a five-man bust-up over the last lap to claim the winner’s 10 Diamond League points in a world leading time. The former world junior champion exploded off the final bend to pull clear of two fellow Ethiopians plus Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei and Kenyan Olympic medallist Thomas Longosiwa. He crossed the line in 12:59.96 to claim the Shanghai meeting’s first ever sub-13 minute clocking, as Cheptegei took second in 13:00.60, a huge personal best for the world junior 10,000m champion. Longosiwa was third as last year’s Diamond Race winner, Yomif Kejelcha, finished fifth behind fellow Ethiopian Abadi Embaye with world silver medallist Hagos Gebrhiwet sixth.
Long Jump Women: Meeting record for Spanovic as Bartoletta is beaten
A meeting record of 6.95 was enough for world bronze medallist Ivana Spanovic to inflict defeat on last year’s world champion and Diamond Race winner Tianna Bartoletta. The Serbian began with a bang, leaping out to go second on this year’s world list with her first jump, 9cm beyond Blessing Okagbare’s meeting record from two years ago. Bartoletta only just survived into the second half and couldn’t get further than a season’s best 6.75 as the consistent Canadian Christabel Nettey took second on countback with her second-best leap of 6.74. Germany’s European indoor silver medallist, Sosthene Moguenara was fourth just a 1cm behind.
200m Women: Ahouré holds on to beat Campbell-Brown
Veronica Campbell-Brown couldn’t repeat her 2012 Shanghai Diamond League victory as the Ivory Coast’s Murielle Ahouré held on ahead of the battling Jamaican. Campbell-Brown was on Ahouré’s shoulder as they came off the bend but the two-time Olympic 200m champion couldn’t find the strength to pull past as the former world silver medallist crossed the line in 22.72. Campbell-Brown was a tenth back in second with fellow Jamaican Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby third in 22.94.
3000m steeplechase Women: Hyvin Kiyeng sets a new meeting record
World champion Hyvin Kiyeng made up a 20m deficit over the last lap as she produced the sixth fastest time in history to defeat former world junior champion Ruth Jebet. The Bahraini strode clear of the field after half way to establish a seemingly unbeatable lead only for the world champion to pass her down the back straight and sweep home for a world leading meeting record of 9:07.42. The exhausted Jebet fell to her knees in the home straight but had tiime to pick herself up to claim second in an Asian record of 9:15.98. Ethiopia’s Olympic silver medallist Sofia Assefa was third ahead of last year’s Diamond Race winner, Virginia Nyambura.
800m Men: Rudisha beaten as Rotich rolls through for shock win
World and Olympic champion David Rudisha was left treading water in the home straight as Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich slipped past the field on the inside lane to snatch a shock victory in 1:45.68. Rudisha had targeted 1:43.50 but such a time was all but impossible after confusion at the start led to half the field pulling up expecting a re-call when high jumpers and javelin throwers strayed into their lanes. Rudisha made up the ground and held the lead with 200m to go, but the world record holder’s customary finishing kick was nowhere to be seen as Dutchman Thijmen Kupers attacked off the bend. The Kenyan faded to fifth in 1:46.24, his slowest time for five years, as Robert Biwott and Alfred Kipketer took second and third ahead of Kupers.
400m Women: World leading Miller leaves the rest adrift
World silver medallist Shaunae Miller lived up to her billing as the world number one led from gun to tape to beat the fast-finishing Jamaican Stephanie Ann McPherson and USA’s Natasha Hastings in 50.45. Miller was out quickest in lane six with Hastings chasing hard two lanes inside before McPherson responded around the final bend to chase the Bahaman home in 50.98, her best of the year. Hastings was clear in third in 51.10 with two-time Shanghai winner Novlene Williams-Mills some way back in fourth.
100m Men: Sub-10 for battling Gatlin
A fast start and a battling second half gave last year’s Diamond League winner Justin Gatlin a sub-10 clocking and his first win of the 2016 campaign. The US world silver medallist, who dominated last year’s Race, was in front from the start and opened daylight between himself and Qatar’s world leader Femi Ogunode to cross the line in a wind-legal season’s best of 9.94. Ogunode was the best of the rest in 10.07 as Gatlin’s US compatriot and world finalist Mike Rodgers took third three hundredths back ahead of former world champion Kim Collins.