Impressive victories at the WDL Shanghai/Keqiao

World record holders Mondo Duplantis, Karsten Warholm and Yaroslava Mahuchikh all sealed impressive victories at the Shanghai/Keqiao Diamond League on Saturday (3), while US athlete Cordell Tinch produced a spectacular performance in the 110m hurdles, clocking a world lead, meeting record and personal best of 12.87 (0.6m/s).

That moved Tinch joint-fourth on the world all-time list, smashing his previous best of 12.96 and bringing him home well clear of Rachid Muratake (13.10) and Rasheed Broadbell (13.24). “I felt like I was going to run something fast, but I didn’t know it would be 12.8 fast,” said Tinch. “It is a matter of trying to finish those races when I get out well. As I continue to go through the season, I try and get better each week.”

Warholm was equally dominant in the men’s 400m hurdles, the Norwegian great powering away from his rivals and clocking 47.28 despite clipping some barriers. “It was a very messy race,” said the Tokyo Olympic champion. “I hit a couple of hurdles, so actually 47.28 with such a messy race shows potential. A win is a win and 47.28 is not too shabby.”

Duplantis maintained his winning streak in the men’s pole vault and soared over a meeting record of 6.11m on his first attempt, before putting the bar up to a world record of 6.28m, making three decent attempts but none of them were ultimately successful. Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis took second with 6.01m.

“The jump did not feel that great and the run did not feel that great either, so to have a good (world record) attempt while not feeling my best is actually a really good thing,” said Duplantis. “I will keep working on my speed. I am going to take another month with no competitions – just train hard and make sure I can build up to a really good, healthy, and strong season leading into Tokyo in September.”

Mahuchikh cleared 2.00m to take victory in the women’s high jump, with Nicola Olyslagers next best with 1.98m and Eleanor Patterson third with 1.95m. “I like my performance tonight,” said Mahuchikh, the reigning Olympic and world champion. “I improved it step by step on my competition from last week because now I jumped two metres at the first attempt.”

Chase Jackson produced a superb throw of 20.54m to set a meeting record in the women’s shot put, the US star opening with 20.49m and then adding 5cm to her leading mark in the fourth round, with Dutch athlete Jessica Schilder second with 19.77m and Sweden’s Fanny Roos third with a national record of 19.66m.

“I felt really good tonight,” said Jackson. “On Tuesday, I had a breakthrough in my training so I kind of knew either I could throw really far or I will not be able to hold the breakthrough, but I was able to hold it in, so I am happy with that. I have been working on using my left arm more, and I felt what I needed to feel during my training, and I was able to carry it over to the competition.”

Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma set a national record of 1:56.64 to take victory in the women’s 800m, which was also a world lead and meeting record. She produced a scintillating last 100 metres to come home clear of Sarah Billings of Australia, who set a big PB in second of 1:57.83.

There was another Ethiopian win in the men’s 5000m where Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Berihu Aregawi set a meeting record of 12:50.45, holding on up the home straight to defeat the late charge of compatriot Kuma Girma, who set a PB of 12:50.69 in second.

Pedro Pichardo returned to action in the men’s triple jump and the Tokyo Olympic champion got his season off to a winning start, jumping 17.03m in the first round, his best mark of the night, which was enough for victory. Jamaica’s Jordan Scott was next best with 17.00m.

In the men’s 400m, Christopher Bailey produced a flying finish to take victory in a PB of 44.17, the US athlete beating Bayapo Ndori, who clocked 44.32 in second. Olympic champion Quincy Hall returned from a long injury layoff and finished eighth in 45.99.

Grace Stark set a meeting record of 12.42 (0.3m/s) to take victory in the women’s 100m hurdles, with Danielle Williams second in 12.55 and Marione Fourie third in 12.62.

There was another win for US sprinters in the women’s 200m where Anavia Battle backed up her victory in Xiamen last weekend with a victory in 22.38 (0.5m/s), with Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke second in 22.72. “I wouldn’t say that was the best execution for a race that I have had, I had to work today and I need to put some pieces together when I get back,” said Battle. “It is a really good place to be in May.”

Akani Simbine continued his fine form in the men’s 100m, the South African edging victory in 9.98 (0.5m/s) ahead of Kishane Thompson (9.99) and Letsile Tebogo (10.03). “I’m not happy with the race but taking the win is good,” said Simbine. “I’m not happy with the start, it is just frustrating that I did not get it right today, but I was at least able to make up for that mistake and get the win.”

Abrham Sime of Ethiopia unleashed a flying finish to take a convincing win in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, clocking 8:07.92 ahead of Kenya’s Edmund Serem (8:08.68).

Greece’s Elina Tzengko produced a 64.90m throw to take the women’s javelin, her second win of the year in the Wanda Diamond League, while China’s Dai Qianqian took second with a PB of 64.38m.

In the non-Diamond League events, the women’s discus proved the highlight, with Valarie Allman producing a superb winning effort of 70.08m ahead of Jorinde van Klinken (66.22m). “I’m leaving China happy and excited to go home, I go with a lot of good perspective of what these next few months need,” said Allman.

There was a Chinese one-two in the men’s long jump, with Yuhao Shi taking victory with 8.21m ahead of Heng Shu (8.18m).