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Portugal’s Auriol Dongmo provided the main highlight at the 16th Meeting Iberoamericano, a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting, thanks to a 19.75m shot put throw on Thursday (3).

The European indoor champion kicked off with a hesitant 18.60m toss in Huelva and improved to 19.32m in the second round before fouling her next two attempts. The fireworks came in the fifth round when the 30-year-old unleashed a 19.75m effort to set a career best by 10 centimetres, also a national record and a world-leading performance. The Cameroon-born ace closed her series of throws with a fine 19.23m. She didn’t find any opposition from the runner up, her fellow Portuguese thrower Eliana Bandeira (17.34m).

Bradshaw higher than ever outdoors

The second star of the event was the European pole vault bronze medallist Holly Bradshaw. The 29-year-old opened with an easy 4.50m clearance, then she needed two attempts to get over 4.64m but had convincing first-time clearances at both 4.75m and 4.82m for a national outdoor record. That performance moves Bradshaw, who cleared 4.87m indoors in 2012, to equal third on the world rankings.

The Rio Olympics fifth-placer then tried 4.88m but was unsuccessul in her three attempts. The in-form Italian Roberta Bruni had to settle for the runner-up spot on this occasion with a 4.64m clearance, the second ever best performance by the 27-year-old.

“It has been a pleasure to jump here,” said a delighted Bradshaw. “The competition has been incredible. We asked the organisers to change the pit to take advantage of the prevailing wind and they were accomodating. I’m really grateful.”

Gressier impresses

France’s Jimmy Gressier had planned to compete in Gothenburg the previous day but when he arrived in Sweden, authorities denied him entry as his negative PCR test had expired five hours before. Far from being discouraged, the European U23 5000m and 10,000m champion contacted the Huelva organisers for a place for the Meeting Iberoamericano 5000m in his hunt for the Olympic qualifier.

Paced by 2016 800m world indoor silver medallist Antoine Gakeme, Gressier reached the opening kilometres in 2:40.03, 5:16:04 and 7:57.95, outside the pace required to run inside the 13:13.50 Tokyo standard. He took the lead before 4000m (10:39.17) and from then on the brave Frenchman showed an impressive determination to build a sizeable margin over Germany’s Mohamed Mohumed and Eritrea’s Awet Habte. It only took Gressier 2:29.88 to cover the closing kilometre to romp home in a massive PB of 13:08.99, with Mohumed a distant second in a lifetime best of 13:21.21.

Dominicans prevail in the 400m

Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic continued her victorious Spanish tour to win again in her first ever sub-50-second clocking, running 49.99 to break the national record for the third time this season. Paulino remains undefeated this summer after nine competitions despite facing the stiff challenge from Portugal’s Catia Azevedo who destroyed her own 51.61 national record set last month by more than a second with 50.59. In the men’s race, the 21-year-old Alexander Ogando was an overwhelming winner, marginally outside the 45-second barrier but he improved on his career best with 45.01.

Kenya’s Rosefline Chepngetich proved to be the strongest in the women’s 3000m steeplechase. Following splits of 3:05.94 (1000m) and 6:15.59 (2000) she crossed the finish line in 9:24.19, while Britain’s Aimee Pratt managed a huge career best of 9:25.89 to get the Olympic standard. The same goes for Irene van der Reijken of the Netherlands, with a PB of 9:27.38. The men’s event was won by Eritrea’s Rio Olympics finalist Yemane Hailesilassie with a 8:17.12 clocking ahead of France’s Alexis Phelut with 8:19.35.

Barely two days after a fine win in Montreuil, Kenya’s Collins Kipruto stamped his authority in the men’s 800m thanks to a 1:45.43 performance while Spanish record holder Saul Ordonez came second in 1:45.88.

Elsewhere, Estonia’s Olympic finalist Rasmus Magi took the men’s 400m hurdles in a season’s best of 48.87, clearly ahead of France’s Ludvy Vaillant (49.49). Agate de Sousa of Sao Tome & Principe leapt an outdoor PB of 6.58m to win the women’s long jump ahead of Portugal’s Evelise Veiga (6.49m). The win in the women’s discus went to Portugal’s Liliana Ca thanks to a 63.71m last round release, while the 1500m events didn’t produce times as fast as expected, the victories going to Belgium’s Ismael Debjani with 3:36.71, marginally ahead of Portugal’s Isaac Nader with a PB of 3:37.01, and Kenya’s Edinah Jebitok in a lifetime best of 4:04.67, clearly ahead of Spain’s Marta Perez with 4:07.17. Norway’s Ingar Kiplesund was victorious in the men’s long jump thanks to a 7.79m fourth-round leap.

Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

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Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare produced the first sub-11-second 100m run on Slovak soil when winning at the P-T-S Meeting – a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver competition – in Samorin on Wednesday (2).

The world and Olympic medallist dominated the race, winning by almost half a second in 10.98 (-0.1m/s) with Ireland’s Ciara Neville a distant second (11.47).

Panama’s Alonso Edward pulled off a sprint double in what was his first competition of the year. The 2009 world silver medallist won the 100m in 10.18 (0.6m/s) and the 200m in 20.22 (-0.1m/s), his fastest times since 2018.

USA’s Michael Rodgers finished second in the 100m (10.23) while Yancarlos Martinez was the 200m runner-up, clocking 20.35.

Having come within three centimetres of the mark as far back as a decade ago, Edgar Rivera finally claimed the Mexican high jump record with 2.31m. The 30-year-old, who placed fourth at the 2017 World Championships, had first-time clearances up to and including 2.26m, then got over 2.29m on his second try to equal what was his outdoor PB. He then went over 2.31m on his third try.

World champion Anderson Peters won a close javelin contest, throwing 82.81m to beat 2013 world champion Vitezslav Vesely (82.38m).

In the women’s hammer, Venezuela Rosa Rodriguez threw 73.34m to get the better of Olympic champion Anita Wlodarczyk, who continued her return from injury with 72.95m. World silver medallist Quentin Bigot won the men’s event with 78.95m, beating Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Kokhan (77.56m) and Hungary’s Bence Halasz (75.78m).

Britain’s Jess Turner was a comfortable winner of the women’s 400m hurdles, breaking a meeting record that had stood for 30 years. She clocked 54.89, just 0.12 shy of the PB she set last weekend.

Elsewhere, Jemma Reekie won the 800m in 1:59.60 and Hungary’s Luca Kozak won the 100m hurdles in 12.87 (0.4m/s).

Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Photo by Pavol Uhrin

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After a string of 200m victories and some swift – albeit wind-assisted – times over 100m in the past two months, 17-year-old Erriyon Knighton finally entered the record books with his 20.11 200m win at the Duval County Challenge, a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting, in Jacksonville on Monday (31).

Knighton, who hails from Tampa in Florida, turned professional at the start of this year and has been mixing it with the world’s best during the outdoor season. He clocked a wind-assisted 9.99 over 100m in Clermont at the start of May and followed it with a 200m PB of 20.30 at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting at Mt SAC. More recently, he won the future stars 100m race at the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Boston, clocking 10.16.

In Jacksonville, however, Knighton made another step up in class, taking on some of the world’s biggest sprint stars.

Drawn in lane three, Knighton got off to a solid start and trailed European champion Zharnel Hughes and 2016 world indoor 60m champion Trayvon Bromell as they entered the straight.

Bromell briefly edged in front while Hughes faded slightly, then Knighton held his form well to take the lead, crossing the line in 20.11 (1.6m/s) to take 0.02 from the world U18 best set by Usain Bolt back in 2003.

Bromell finished second in 20.20, his fastest time for five years, while Hughes was third in 20.30.

World silver medallist Brittany Brown won the women’s 200m in 22.43 (1.0m/s), beating Dezera Bryant (22.47) and Kyra Jefferson (22.63).

Shamier Little improved her own world-leading 400m hurdles mark by more than half a second, dominating the race to win in 53.12 – the second-fastest time of her career.

Jamaica’s Ronda Whyte was a distant second in 54.33. Dalilah Muhammad, competing in a separate heat, clocked 55.01 in what was her first hurdles race since breaking the world record to win the world title in 2019.

World champion Grant Holloway notched up another convincing 110m hurdles win, clocking 13.10 (1.1m/s) to finish ahead of Devon Allen (13.22) and Daniel Roberts (13.23).

Jamaica’s Brittany Anderson came out on top of a strong 100m hurdles field, winning in 12.59 (0.7m/s). World indoor silver medallist Christina Clemons was second in 12.64, just 0.01 ahead of 2015 world champion Danielle Williams.

World leader Jasmine Camacho Quinn had won her heat in 12.50 but was disqualified from the final for a false start.

Elsewhere, Allyson Felix won the 400m in 50.66 and Michael Cherry took the men’s event in 44.74. World U20 champion Brianna Williams won the women’s 100m in 10.98 (1.0m/s), from Mikiah Brisco (11.09). World indoor bronze medallist Ronnie Baker took the men’s race in 9.99 (1.3m/s) after clocking a wind-assisted 9.91 in the heats.

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Damian Warner had gone into the Hypo Meeting aiming to become the event’s first six-time winner but he ended up making history in other ways at the World Athletics Challenge – Combined Events meeting in Götzis on Sunday (30).

World decathlon bests of 8.28m in the long jump – a mark which also breaks Edrick Floreal’s Canadian record – and 13.36 in the 110m hurdles helped multiple global medallist Warner to a lifetime best of 8995, smashing his own Canadian record and elevating him to fourth on the world all-time list.

Canadian 1-2 from start to finish

Warner opened his competition with 10.14 (0.7m/s) to lead the 100m – a mark just 0.02 off his own world decathlon best. His 8.28m (1.2m/s) long jump followed before marks of 14.31m in the shot put, 2.09m in the high jump to match his PB and 47.90 in the 400m.

It gave him a score of 4743, the best ever wind-legal day-one score and well ahead of PB pace.

“Everything went well,” said Warner in his trackside interview. “It’s been a long time since I was out here, so to come out here and perform this well is awesome.

“Before I started doing the decathlon, I was a long jumper in high school. I had a couple of injuries and it didn’t quite work out and I kind of gave up on the long jump and moved to the decathlon. It has always kind of picked at me – would I have been able to make it as a long jumper? Today’s result was awesome because it shows if I keep working at it then I can compete with some of the world’s best.”

Compatriot Pierce LePage also enjoyed a strong start, clocking a 100m PB of 10.30. He went on to leap 7.45m, throw 14.31m in the shot put, clear 2.00m in the high jump and run 47.65 for 400m to score 4421 after the first five events.

Vitaliy Zhuk of Belarus launched himself up the standings by throwing a big outdoor shot put PB of 16.86m which he followed with a 1.97m high jump and 49.33 400m to end the day in third with 4279 points.

Like Warner, Belgium’s Thomas van der Plaetsen also achieved 2.09m in the high jump which helped him to fifth place on 4254 points behind Dutch athlete Rik Taam with 4257 at the end of the first day.

Warner picked up where he left off on day two, scorching to a 13.36 clocking in the 110m hurdles to break his own world decathlon best.

He followed it with 48.43m in the discus, one of his best ever throws within a decathlon, and then cleared 4.80m in the pole vault, equalling his best ever decathlon vault and keeping him on pace for a score close to 9000 points.

A 59.46m throw in the javelin meant his task in the final discipline, the 1500m, would be a tough one if he were to break the 9000-point barrier. He produced one of his best ever runs for the metric mile, clocking 4:25.19 – just 0.46 shy of his lifetime best. Although it wasn’t quite enough to make him the fourth member of the decathlon’s 9000-point club, he was rewarded with a national record of 8995.

Just as Warner maintained pole position throughout the whole contest, LePage did likewise with his second-place spot, securing a Canadian 1-2 finish. He set PBs of 14.05 and 48.25m in the 110m hurdles and discus respectively. A 5.10m vault and 57.06m throw in the javelin kept him 100 points ahead of Van Der Plaetsen going into the 1500m.

With a 4:40.69 run, just ahead of Van Der Plaetsen’s 4:41.39, LePage finished second with a PB of 8534. Van Der Plaetsen, who once again excelled in the pole vault (5.40m), was also rewarded with a PB in third, scoring 8430. Zhuk was fourth with 8331, ahead of world champion Niklas Kaul (8263).

Krizsan crushes Hungarian record

European indoor bronze medallist Xenia Krizsan came from behind in the final event to take heptathlon victory, improving on her own Hungarian record with 6651.

USA’s Taliyah Brooks gained the early lead as she clocked 12.93 in the 100m hurdles, but her competition came to an end soon after, when she was unable to clear her opening height of 1.74m in the high jump. Pan American Games silver medallist Annie Kunz started with 13.12, while 2017 world bronze medallist Anouk Vetter ran 13.35 in the hurdles.

Adrianna Sulek moved into the lead after the high jump, thanks to a PB of 1.86m, while Krizsan moved into contention thanks to a 1.80m clearance, lifting her from seventh to third overall.

After two fouls in the shot put, Vetter maintained her composure to achieve the leading mark of 15.28m. USA’s Annie Kunz took the overall lead, though, thanks to her throw of 15.22m. A 14.47m PB from Krizsan meant the Hungarian climbed into the No.2 spot overall.

Kunz maintained her lead after the 200m (24.07) while Vetter and Krizsan swapped places in the overall standings, posting respective times of 23.65 and 24.32. Norwegian 17-year-old Henriette Jaeger was the fastest overall in the 200m, clocking a PB of 23.28.

Heptathlon winner Xenia Kriszan at the Hypo Meeting in Gotzis

The second day started well for Krizsan as she leaped a PB of 6.41m in the long jump, moving her back into the second spot. Burkina Faso’s Marthe Koala equalled her own national record of 6.64m to move into the overall lead. Cuba’s Adriana Rodriguez achieved the same mark, temporarily moving her into the top three.

The positions changed again after the javelin, with Vetter excelling in her strongest event, throwing 54.77m. Krizsan wasn’t too far behind, though, throwing 52.02m. It meant just 36 points separated the pair going into the final discipline, the 800m. Koala, Kendell Williams and Maria Huntington occupied the next three spots.

Krizsan, a strong 800m runner, easily made up the difference on Vetter in the final event, clocking 2:11.51 to Vetter’s 2:22.33 and securing the title with 6651. Vetter took second place with 6536, her best ever score outside a major championships, while Williams came through to finish third with 6383.

Just 10 points separated the next four positions as the top seven women scored 6300+ and the first 12 finishers bettered 6200.

Jess Whittington and Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

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Kenya’s Purity Rionoripo and Benson Kipruto were first past the post at the inaugural edition of The Battle of the Teams in Prague on Sunday (30), winning the World Athletics Label Road Race in 2:20:14 and 2:10:16 respectively.

Starting in glorious sunshine on the Charles Bridge, The Battle of the Teams concept involved four carefully balanced teams of eight athletes, but eventually there could be only one individual winner in the men’s and women’s races, and only one team could come out on top.

After a quick first half, Rionoripo applied pressure at the front of the women’s race at 25km, breaking loose and building an unassailable lead. As the last of the 13 three-kilometre laps unfolded, she pulled further and further clear, surging to the line in 2:20:14, with Ethiopia’s Guteni Shone taking second in 2:21:46.

Eva Vrabcova Nyvltova of the Czech Republic placed sixth in 2:27:07, just 36 seconds shy of her national record and comfortably enough for her to book her ticket for the Tokyo Olympics. “I’m back,” said the European bronze medallist, who returned to action last year after a maternity break. “I don’t know what to say. I didn’t expect this at all, so I’m very happy. I didn’t want to believe it was happening until I had finished.”

The men’s race was a tactical and cautious affair, with Kipruto putting in a big surge in the final 5km to win in 2:10:16, finishing 10 seconds ahead of Dickson Chumba.

The scoring format, with six runners per team to count, saw times converted to points, but importantly ensured that the last finishers for each team could change the team positions dramatically. Despite her individual victory and points contribution to her Volkswagen team, Rionoripo could not stop rival Team Birell from taking the team title.

Eventually it was the two personal bests by team members that ensured Team Birell’s comfortable winning margin, their squad’s times converting to 7152 points over Team Volkswagen’s 6887. Team Mattoni were third with 6845, with Team Skupina CEZ on 6765.

Leading results

Women
1 Purity Rionoripo (KEN) 2:20:14
2 Guteni Shone (ETH) 2:21:46
3 Valary Aiyabei (KEN) 2:22:39
4 Betty Lempus (KEN) 2:24:15
5 Tigist Abayechew (ETH) 2:26:12
6 Eva Vrabcova-Nyvltova (CZE) 2:27:07
7 Aberu Mulisa (ETH) 2:28:02
8 Meseret Belete (ETH) 2:28:31
9 Moira Stewartova (CZE) 2:29:28
10 Reia Iwade (JPN) 2:32:33

Men
1 Benson Kipruto (KEN) 2:10:16
2 Dickson Chumba (KEN) 2:10:26
3 Nobert Kigen (KEN) 2:10:27
4 Kenneth Keter (KEN) 2:10:29
5 Lencho Anbesa (ETH) 2:10:50
6 Kinde Atanaw (ETH) 2:11:00
7 Mengistu Zelalem (ETH) 2:11:48
8 Yitayal Atnafu (ETH) 2:11:58
9 Wily Canchanya (PER) 2:12:33
10 Abdi Ibrahim (BRN) 2:12:52

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Nigeria’s Ese Brume and USA’s Maggie Malone made history at the Chula Vista Field Festival, setting area and national records respectively at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting on Saturday (29).

Brume produced the leap of her life in the final round of the long jump, going from third to first with a world-leading 7.17m. The world bronze medallist added five centimetres to the Nigerian record set by Chioma Ajunwa when winning gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

The long jump competition had already been a high-quality affair leading into the final round with six women having leaped 6.80m or farther. But it came alive in round six with Brume’s leap prompting two more women to jump beyond seven metres.

Multiple world and Olympic champion Brittney Reese sailed out to 7.10m with her final effort with the wind reading just above the allowable limit (2.3m/s). She had jumped a wind-legal 6.83m earlier in the competition.

Chantel Malone of the British Virgin Islands ended her series with 7.07m (2.0m/s) to finish third. USA’s Sha’Keela Saunders (6.90m, wind assisted) and Malaina Payton (6.89m) were fourth and fifth, while 2014 world U20 champion Akela Jones of Barbados set a national record of 6.80m in sixth.

Maggie Malone continued her strong run of form in the javelin, recording not just her sixth win of the year and fourth PB, but also breaking the US record in the process.

She took the lead in round two with 63.42m, then sent her spear out to 66.82m in round three, adding 15 centimetres to the previous mark set by Kara Winger in 2010.

Canada’s Liz Gleadle was second with a season’s best of 63.33m.

Vashti Cunningham moved up to fourth on the US all-time list when winning the high jump with 2.02m.

The 2016 world indoor champion, still aged just 23, had first-time clearances up to and including 1.90m, then needed two attempts to get over 1.93m. Jelena Rowe also got over that height on her second try, but bowed out of the competition with three misses at 1.99m.

Cunningham, meanwhile, passed straight to 2.02m and had immediate success, going clear on her first jump. Happy with her result, Cunningham opted not to continue jumping.

Olympic champion Jeff Henderson sailed out to a season’s best of 8.39m (1.5m/s) in the first round of the long jump to secure victory. The world silver medallist followed it with 8.24m in round two and then passed his remaining attempts.

Marquis Dendy and Corey Crawford both jumped 8.29m, but Dendy placed second on countback, thanks to having another 8.29m leap within his series.

Elsewhere, world leader Rudy Winkler maintained his winning streak in the hammer – but only just. He threw 78.78m in the first round, which remained the best mark of the day, but Alex Young came within half a metre of that throw with his 78.30m for second place.

Donald Scott won the men’s triple jump with a marginally wind-assisted 17.22m, while Jamaica’s Sabina Allen won the women’s event with 14.20m. Michael Shuey took the men’s javelin with 80.32m.

Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

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The Olympic season really started to warm up in Doha on Friday (28) as a series of world-leading performances and meeting record were achieved at the Wanda Diamond League event in Qatar’s capital.

Kenya’s Norah Jeruto won a thrilling women’s 3000m steeplechase with the quickest time in the world so far this year, while the USA’s 400m hurdles star Rai Benjamin was among the meeting record-breakers. The women’s pole vault again saw great depth, with six athletes clearing 4.74m or higher for just the second time in history – the first having also been in Doha at the 2019 World Athletics Championships.

Benjamin was among the 31 athletes returning to the city in which they had secured medal-winning success at that global event. This time the world 400m hurdles silver medallist and 4x400m champion held off the fast-starting Alison dos Santos for a 47.38 win, improving the meeting record of 47.57 which had been set by Abderrahman Samba in 2018.

Dos Santos, the world U20 bronze medallist in 2018, was rewarded with another Brazilian record as he built on the 47.68 he ran at the USATF Golden Games with time of 47.57 in second. Commonwealth champion Kyron McMaster was third in 47.82 as Qatar’s Samba, racing the 400m hurdles for the first time since claiming world bronze on home soil, finished fourth in 48.26.

There were spills as well as thrills in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, with Jeruto keeping her composure after a very fast start to gain a dominant victory, while her compatriot Hyvin Kiyeng, the 2015 world champion, suffered a fall at the final water jump.

As Jeruto claimed a clear win in 9:00.67, Mekides Abebe had a breakthrough in second place – the 20-year-old clocking 9:02.52 to set an Ethiopian record. Just behind her was Bahrain’s Winfred Mutile Yavi, who also improved her best with 9:02.64, and Kiyeng got back to her feet to finish fourth in 9:07.58, one place ahead of the USA’s 2017 world champion Emma Coburn.

“I feel very good,” said Jeruto, who next plans to race in Oslo. “I was very well prepared for today.”

Cheruiyot and Kipyegon impress

Jeruto’s fellow Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot was also largely untroubled on his way to a world-leading 1500m, claiming another win in Doha after his world title victory in 2019. This time he clocked 3:30.48 on his season debut, passing Ethiopia’s world indoor champion Samuel Tefera – who had led through the bell in 2:34 – on the back straight. Glancing over his shoulder, the Kenyan strode away to finish clear ahead of Australian record-holder Stewart McSweyn (3:31.57) and Morocco’s two-time world steeplechase medallist Soufiane El Bakkali (3:31.95), who passed a tiring Tefra in the closing stages.

Commonwealth champion Wycliffe Kinyamal became the first athlete to dip under 1:44 for 800m this season, the Kenyan clocking 1:43.91 ahead of world bronze medallist Ferguson Rotich (1:44.45) and Britain’s Daniel Rowden (1:44.60).

After a tactical start to the women’s 800m, Kenya’s Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon saved her energy for a fast final 200m, kicking away from Jamaica’s Natoya Goule and Morocco’s Rababe Arafi to dominate in 1:58.26. Goule had been to the fore as the group decided not to go with the pacemaker. Making their move on the second lap, Kipyegon and Arafi surged ahead but Goule came through for second in 1:59.70 as Arafi was third in 1:59.83.

“I’m very excited to be here,” said Kipyegon, racing for the first time this year and back in the city where she set her 800m, 1500m and 3000m PBs as well as claimed world 1500m silver. “The pandemic wasn’t easy, but we always try to be great. I’m training so hard and hoping to do my best.”

Kenya’s 21-year-old Beatrice Chebet was another to have the track race of her life in Doha, with the world U20 cross country champion running a big PB of 8:27.49 to set a 3000m world lead and beat her more experienced compatriots. Margaret Kipkemboi, the world 5000m silver medallist, was second in 8:28.27 while Lilian Renguruk was third in 8:28.96 and two-time world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri fourth in 8:33.98.

Nageotte soars to success

A high-quality affair was expected in the women’s pole vault, with the top eight finishers from the 2019 World Championships all returning to Doha, and the competition didn’t disappoint. Both the USA’s Katie Nageotte, who finished seventh in that global final, and Sandi Morris, the silver medallist on that occasion, matched the meeting record of 4.84m. Another four athletes ­­– Holly Bradshaw, Katerina Stefanidi, Tina Sutej and Iryna Zhuk – achieved 4.74m, with Nageotte winning on countback.

“You can expect anything in the pole vault, but I was ready to come and jump,” said Nageotte, who had cleared a world-leading PB of 4.93m five days earlier in Georgia.

All eyes were also on the women’s triple jump, with Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas back in action after her 15.43m leap at the World Athletics Continental Tour meeting in Andujar. She followed that mark – which was just seven centimetres off the world record – by opening her competition in Doha with 15.15m (2.0m/s) in the first round. That easily secured her place for the final round top-three shoot-out, and with that attempt she recorded 15.11m to win the competition ahead of Jamaica’s Kimberly Williams and Shanieka Ricketts.

Earlier in the event, Ricketts had come so close to the 15-metre mark, leaping a PB of 14.98m in round five, but her final attempt was a foul. For Williams, 14.45m from that last leap secured her second place, after a PB of 14.69m, also from the fifth round.

The women’s discus and men’s shot put were aslo decided by the top-three final round contest, with Cuba’s world champion Yaime Perez throwing 61.35m to win after 63.75m in an earlier round and the USA’s Valarie Allman throwing furthest overall with 65.57m, later securing her second place finish with a 58.58m throw. Armin Sinancevic equalled his recently-set Serbian record of 21.88m in the fifth round of the shot put competition and went on to place third behind New Zealand’s 2017 world champion Tom Walsh and Croatia’s Filip Mihaljevic, who threw 21.63m and 20.89m respectively in that last round as Sinancevic recorded a foul.

Home favourite Mutaz Barshim had been hoping to mark a decade of Diamond League competition with another win, back competing on home soil where he claimed his second world title in 2019. But while his best on the evening was 2.30m, Ilya Ivanyuk went on to soar clear at 2.33m. With the win secured, he had one attempt at 2.36m before calling it a day.

Fraser-Pryce and Bednarek shine in sprints

The women’s 100m at the Diamond League season opener in Gateshead five days earlier had seen Jamaican sprint star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce battle the rain and wind as well as her rivals to finish fourth, but in Doha she secured success, clocking 10.84 (1.1m/s) to win ahead of Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare (10.90) and the USA’s Javianne Oliver (11.03).

A close men’s 200m clash was won by the USA’s Kenny Bednarek as he pipped Canada’s Andre De Grasse 19.88 to 19.89 (0.4m/s). With identical PBs of 19.80, the pair were fairly evenly matched as they came off the bend but Bednarek had the strength to edge ahead. De Grasse wasn’t done and surged again, eventually missing out by just 0.01.

There was another fine 400m run by Michael Norman as the 23-year-old – world leader in both 2019 and 2018 – continued his winning streak this year with a world-leading 44.27 ahead of Colombia’s Anthony Zambrano (44.57). Fresh from a 100m PB of 9.91, Fred Kerley returned to his specialist distance and finished third in 44.60, while 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James was fourth in 44.61 as he returned to Diamond League action for the first time since 2018.

Qatari record-holder Femi Ogunode won the non-Diamond League 100m in 10.00 (0.9m/s).

Jess Whittington for World Athletics

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Meeting records fell in all four hurdles races at the adidas Boost Boston Games – part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series – with world record-holders Grant Holloway and Kendra Harrison among the winners.

The women’s 100m hurdles was the strongest line-up of the meet, featuring four of the top six women in the world rankings. Harrison, however, once again proved too strong for the rest of the field, notching up her fourth win at the distance this year.

Christina Clemons, who took silver behind Harrison at the World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018, started strongly and was level with Harrison at half way. Harrison was able to maintain her consistency over final barriers and inched ahead of her opponents to win in a meeting record of 12.49 (-0.9m/s).

Clemons lost a bit of rhythm towards the end, allowing Tobi Amusan to come through and take second in 12.62, 0.10 ahead of Clemons.

Poetry in motion.

12.49 for @Ken_AYE_ who continues her fine form in Boston.#ContinentalTourGold
📺: pic.twitter.com/ljccQIjVkg

— Continental Tour Gold (@ContiTourGold) May 23, 2021

“I got the job done,” said Harrison, the world record-holder for the distance. “My coach wanted me to come out and execute, and I did that. I’m confident in myself this year, and the way I’ve been performing, things are looking good.”

Moments later, Holloway was out on track for the men’s 110m hurdles. In complete contrast to the women’s race, it was essentially a one-athlete affair as a composed Holloway streaked ahead of his opponents to win in 13.20 (0.0m/s).

Shane Brathwaite of Barbados was second in 13.71 while world record-holder Aries Merritt was further back in fifth (14.26) in what was just the third clash ever between the two world record-holders.

110m hurdles winner Grant Holloway at the adidas Boost Boston Games

“It meant a lot (to line up against Merritt),” said Holloway. “He’s one of my mentors; I try to model myself on him, he’s like an older brother to me. It feels good to have him next to me, but at the end of the day, I’m trying to have what he has.”

Jamaica’s Shiann Salmon produced one of the biggest surprises of the meeting, not only in defeating a strong line-up in the 200m hurdles, but also clocking an unofficial world best for the rarely run distance.

Ebony Morrison, the meeting record-holder, started strong, as did the in-form Shamier Little. But Morrison faded in the second half while Salmon, competing in lane one, finished strongly to overtake Little for the win in 24.86. Little’s time of 24.91 was also inside the previous world best for the 200m hurdles on a straight (25.05).

Shiann Salmon on her way to winning the 200m hurdles at the adidas Boost Boston Games

“It’s my first time running 200m on a straight,” said Salmon, the 2018 world U20 400m hurdles silver medallist. “It was a very strange experience and I was quite nervous, but my coach and I talked about it beforehand and I made sure I just focused on myself and my lane.”

The men’s event was similarly close. USA’s Amere Lattin, a strong all-round hurdler, got out well and led over the first few flights of hurdles. But Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos, as is his trademark, finished strongly to edge ahead, winning in a meeting record of 22.11 – just 0.01 outside the unofficial world best. Lattin was second in 22.18.

“In the 400m hurdles, the second half is usually my best part of the race, so I’m very happy to win over the shorter event today,” said the Brazilian 400m hurdles record-holder.

Miller-Uibo and Blake impress over 200m

Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo stepped down to the 200m, the distance she intends to contest at the Tokyo Olympics. And if her display in Boston is anything to go by, she will be hard to beat at the half-lap event in the Japanese capital.

USA’s Kortnei Johnson went out hard, but Miller-Uibo ran her own controlled race and built up enough of a lead in the second half that the Bahamian was able to ease off the gas in the closing stages, crossing the line in 22.08 (-0.1m/s) – a time that only she has ever bettered for the 200m straight.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo wins the 200m at the adidas Boost Boston Games

Johnson was second in 22.40 and 400m specialist Wadeline Jonathas third in 22.57.

“Every time I step on the track, I want to do my best and have fun with it,” said Miller-Uibo. “I’m really excited for it (running the 200m at the Olympics). Training has been going well. We’ve been dealing with some very minor injuries but we’re getting through it.”

Fellow Olympic 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk was not quite so fortunate in the men’s event. The South African sprinter was in contention until the final 30 metres when he eased up and jogged across the line, limping slightly.

It left Canada’s Jerome Blake and Britain’s Zharnel Hughes in a two-man battle for the victory with Blake getting it on the line, 19.89 to 19.93 (-0.3m/s). Van Niekerk, who recently returned from a long injury spell, confirmed afterwards that he’d simply experienced some discomfort in his hip and so decided to play it safe by easing up.

Jerome Blake, Wayde van Niekerk and Zharnel Hughes in the 200m at the adidas Boost Boston Games

Isiah Young got the better of world 200m champion Noah Lyles in the 100m. He started well and Lyles was unable to catch him in the latter stages with Young charging through the finish line in a season’s best of 9.94 (0.5m/s). Lyles, who clocked a season’s best of 10.03 in the heats, finished second in 10.10.

Aleia Hobbs won the women’s 100m in 11.05 from Gabby Thomas (11.16).

Jereem Richards, better known as a 200m and 400m sprinter, showed a good turn of speed to win the men’s 150m. Yohan Blake and Andrew Hudson battled for the lead in the early stages, but Richards timed his finish well to ease ahead and take the win in 14.75 (0.1m/s). Blake got the verdict over Hudson with both men recorded at 14.94.

Lynna Irby confirmed her all-round sprint prowess to take the women’s 150m in 16.53, running into a -1.5m/s headwind. World 200m silver medallist Brittany Brown was second in 16.65.

“People think of me as a 400m runner, but I say I’m simply a sprinter,” said Irby, who confirmed she intends to contest the 200m and 400m at the US Olympic Trials.

Goule and Arop take road victories

For just the second time in more than 20 clashes between the pair, Pan-American 800m champion Natoya Goule beat world 800m bronze medallist Ajee Wilson in what was their first duel over 600m.

Held on the roads of Boston earlier in the day, Wilson tried to push the pace in the second half but was unable to shake off the challenge from Goule as the Jamaican timed her kick to perfection to win in 1:24. Wilson finished second in 1:26.

Canada’s Marco Arop launched a long run for home in the men’s 600m and was rewarded with a comfortable 1:15 victory, beating Sam Ellison and Jamie Webb, both timed at 1:16.

Puerto Rico’s Rob Napolitano got carried away slightly in the men’s mile and misjudged his finishing spurt. After building up a significant lead in the closing stages, he was soon reeled in by the leading competitors with Olympic 800m bronze medallist Clayton Murphy finishing first in 4:01, closely followed by Sam Prakel and Eric Avila.

Nikki Hiltz’s victory in the women’s mile was more clear-cut. They waited on the shoulder of US compatriot Rebecca Mehra before forging ahead to win in 4:31.

Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

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