by Alfonz Juck
Abderrrahman Samba takes 400m Hurdles in 47.27, photo by PhotoRun.net
The 100m final, photo by Omega/IAAF
EME News is the daily news service on athletics, founded by Alfons Juck. This is his DL event review.
SHANGHAI (CHN, May 18): No rain, but humidity and best results at the beginning (400 m Hurdles) and at the end (100 m). Shanghai DL brought World leads in 6 events and meeting records in 3 events. Home wins in men high jump and women javelin. Arafi 1500 m win was the top surprise of the evening along with Ealey over Gong in women shot.
Event by event review
Men
100m – Noah Lyles shaved 0.02 off his lifetime best to win in a world-leading 9.86 (852) with a late charge from Christian Coleman who was also credited with 9.86 (858). Akani Simbine (9.95) and last year’s winner Reece Prescod (9.97) made it four sprinters under the 10 second-barrier.
200m (non-DL) – A Canadian one-two courtesy of Aaron Brown (20.07) and Andre de Grasse (20.21). South Africa’s Clarence Munyai was third in 20.37.
400m – Fred Kerley was a comfortable winner in 44.81. Last year’s winner Steven Gardiner was a non-starter due to tendonitis and Isaac Makwala was a non-finisher.
5000m – Yomif Kejelcha produced a 53.28 last lap to win in a world-leading 13:04.16, outsprinting Ethiopian teammates Selemon Barega (13:04.71) and Hagos Gebrhiwet (13:04.83).
110m hurdles – Jamaica’s Omar McLeod won in Shanghai for a fourth time in 13.12 ahead of China’s Xie Wenjun who improved again from 13.21 to 13.17. Sergey Shubenkov opened with 13.28 in third, the same time as Orlando Ortega in fourth.
400m hurdles – Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba extended his unbeaten streak with a meeting record and world lead of 47.27 to defeat Rai Benjamin (47.80) in their first head-to-head. Ireland’s Thomas Barr was a distant third in 49.41.
High jump – China’s Wang Yu won on countback at 2.28m ahead of Belarus’ Maksim Nedasekau and Ilya Ivanyuk. Bogdan Bondarenko cleared 2.19m on his comeback before three tries at 2.25m.
Long jump – Tajay Gayle (8.24m), Wang Jianan (8.16m) and Ruswahl Samaai (8.14m) were the only jumpers to surpass eight metres. World champion Luvo Manyonga was a non-starter due to a stomach illness.
Javelin – Germany’s Andreas Hofmann produced a world-leading 87.55m in the first round although Chao-Tsun Cheng almost surpassed that mark in the second round with 87.12m. Thomas Rohler was fourth in 82.95m.
Women
100m – Aleia Hobbs clocked 11.03 with injured wrist to defeat Blessing Okagbare (11.07) with Elaine Thompson from Jamaica third in 11.14 in her first 100m since July.
400m – Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser had the better of Sydney McLaughlin on her Diamond League debut, 50.65 to 50.78.
1500m – Morocco’s Rababe Arafi was a surprise winner in a world-leading 4:01.15 ahead of Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay (4:01.25) with Winnie Nanyondo third in an Ugandan record of 4:01.39. Sifan Hassan had to settle for fifth in 4:01.91.
3000m steeplechase – World lead and meeting record of 9:04.53 for Beatrice Chepkoech over Kenyan teammate Celliphine Chespol (9:11.10) and Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai (9:17.78). Canadian record in seventh for Genevieve Lalonde (9:29.82).
Pole vault – Ekaterini Stefanidi cleared 4.72m on her season’s debut to defeat Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou, Li Ling and world indoor champion Sandi Morris all on countback. Li Ling’s second-time clearance was also an Asian record.
Shot – USA’s Chase Ealey took the biggest win of her career thus far, with 19.58m ahead of reigning world champion Gong Lijiao who improved to 19.44m in the sixth round.
Javelin – China’s Lyu Huihui produced the three best throws of the competition (66.89m, 65.66m, 65.06m) to defeat Latvia’s Lina Muze who extended her PB to 64.87m. European champion Christin Hussong was third in 64.10m.
