South Africa's Gift Leotlela wins the men's 100m event at the opening Diamond League athletics meeting in Keqiao, Shaoxing in China's eastern Zhejiang province.
Image: AFP
Armand "Mondo" Duplantis cruised to pole vault victory in the opening Diamond League meeting of the season yesterday, but failed to improve his own world record.
There was a major surprise in the men's 100m as Gift Leotlela of South Africa pipped Ferdinand Omanyala and Kenneth Bednarek in a photo finish to win a Diamond League event for the first time.
High-quality women's 200m and 100m hurdles events were won by Jamaica's Shericka Jackson and Olympic champion Masai Russell respectively, while Karsten Warholm was shocked in the 300m hurdles.
Duplantis already had victory sewn up in the pole vault after just two jumps before he eased to a new Shanghai meeting record of 6.12m. The Swede — who has not lost a competition since 2023 — then raised the bar to a world-record 6.32m but failed with all three attempts to beat his old mark.
Duplantis said he felt the record had been possible. "I feel really good jumping right now," said Duplantis, who has lengthened his run-up by two paces this season. "I would say body-wise I was a little bit too busy the past few weeks. But other than that, I'm happy with the way I performed."
Norway's Warholm clocked two world bests in the little-raced 300m hurdles last season but was stunned by 0.04sec by Brazil's Alison Dos Santos (33.01). “I'm a little bit mad that I didn't win,” said Warholm. “I think he was really starting to get tired and I thought maybe I had him there. This is how competing should be — you should never know the outcome.”
Leotlela said his men's 100m victory in 9.97sec had been the perfect start to his outdoor year. “I think tonight sets the tone for the rest of the season,” he said. “I'm very happy, excited for what's to come.”
American Bednarek was just one-hundredth of a second behind Leotlela in third, given the same 9.98sec time as Kenya's Omanyala.
Jamaica's Jackson crossed the line in the 200m in 22.07sec to beat Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas (22.26sec), who was running her first Diamond League race for three years, with American Anavia Battle third in 22.40sec.
“This year, I just want to stay healthy,” said Jackson. “Next season's a World Championship year, so I just want to stay as healthy as possible.”
Former world 100m champion Sha'Carri Richardson of the United States finished down the field, while world silver medallist Amy Hunt of Great Britain finished fifth.
Jessica Schilder recorded the performance of the night as she propelled the shot to a Diamond League record and became the first woman to exceed 21 metres since 1999. The Dutchwoman launched her huge 21.09m effort in the fifth round to relegate two-time world champion Chase Jackson (20.46m) to second place.
“I can't comprehend it. It is such a huge thing, it is crazy,” Schilder said of breaking the 21-metre barrier.
In the women's 100m hurdles, the American Russell's superb 12.25sec was good enough to beat Bahamian world indoor champion Devynne Charlton (12.38sec), with world record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria third in 12.41sec.
Mark English's late burst snatched a dramatic men's 800m with a meeting record of 1:43.85. The 33-year-old Irishman dipped past Botswana's Kethobogile Haingura on the line, having come from six runners back in the final 30 metres.
In the men's 110m hurdles, Jamal Britt upset his fellow American and world champion Cordell Tinch to win with a personal-best-equalling 13.07sec.