Shanghai/Suzhou Diamond League Highlights

By: Gyang Dakwo

South Africa’s Akani Simbine upset former world champions Fred Kerley and Christian Coleman to win the men’s 100m at the Shanghai/Suzhou Diamond League track and field athletics meet on Saturday (27 April).

The former African record holder showed superior top-end speed to pull away from the two men on his inside dipping in a winning time of 10.01 seconds.

Coleman’s characteristic blistering start was not enough to give him back-to-back victories and had to be content with second place with a season’s best 10.04s. Kerley, who finished second behind Coleman in Xiamen a week ago, settled for third in 10.11s.

Great Britain’s Daryll Neita began her season in storming style as she beat a strong field including Sha’Carri Richardson to win the women’s 200m at the 2024 Shanghai/Suzhou Diamond League meet in Suzhou, People’s Republic of China, on Saturday (27 April).

Running in lane seven, the Briton ran a strong start around the bend and emerged onto the straight well clear of the chasing pack.

Anavia Battle, who briefly led last week’s race in Xiamen, held on for second place, while Richardson, the world 100m champion, finished a disappointing third.

Beatrice Chepkoech was in dominant form in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase claiming a second Diamond League race on the trot. The Kenyan star raced home in a time of 9:07.36. Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai followed in second place in 9:15.46 with Gesa Felicitas Krause of Germany finishing third in 9:16.

The women’s 100m hurdles had a good dose of drama with world record holder Tobi Amusan running under protest following disqualification for a false start. Olympic 100m hurdles champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn had the edge in a close finish, taking the win in a time of 12.63s. World indoor champion Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas took second place (12.64s

Meanwhile Armand Duplantis missed out on another pole vault world record but made a strong statement ahead of this year’s Olympic Games by easing to victory in the second Diamond League event of the season on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Olympic champion had broken his own world record with a stellar effort of 6.24 metres at the Xiamen season opener last week and wrapped up another victory in China with his best of 6.00m too good for the rest of the pack.

Reigning world women’s 400m champion Marileidy Paulino claimed a comprehensive victory in the one-lap event with a time of 50.89 seconds. Paulino pulled away over the final stretch to claim her second win in as many races on the Diamond League circuit.