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Agence France-Presse

Armand “Mondo” Duplantis cruised to pole vault victory in the opening Diamond League meeting of the season on Saturday, but failed to improve his own world record.
There was a 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 were won by Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson and Olympic champion Masai Russell, respectively, but 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 in 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,” Warholm said.
“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 100th of a second behind Leotlela in third, given the same 9.98sec time as Kenya’s Omanyala.
“I feel pretty good,” said Bednarek, the 200m silver medallist at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“I didn’t execute what I wanted to in the first half of the race but I’m happy with the results.”

‘Stay healthy’
Jamaica’s Jackson crossed the line in the 200m in 22.07 to beat Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas (22.26), who was running her first Diamond League race for three years, with American Anavia Battle third in 22.40.
“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 world champion Sha’Carri Richardson of the United States could finish only fourth in 20.42 and world silver medallist Amy Hunt of Great Britain was 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 (20.46) to second place.

“I can’t comprehend. 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 12.25 was good enough to beat Bahamian world indoor champion Devynne Charlton (12.38), with world record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria third in 12.41.
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.


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World Athletics Championships

Sweden’s Armand Duplantis won the pole vault at the Shanghai Diamond League athletics meeting but failed to beat his own world record. Photo: AFP

Armand Duplantis set a Shanghai meet record after sewing up his win early. Photo: AP

Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson won a high-quality 200m ahead of Britain’s Amy Hunt (middle), who finished fifth, and USA’s Sha’Carri Richardson (fourth). Photo: AFP

Dutch shot putter Jessica Schilder recorded the performance of the night. Photo: AFP

Resilient Hong Kong cycling star Ceci Lee adds to Japan Track Cup medal haul

Ceci Lee (right) and Chloe Leung, here on the way to Madison bronze on Friday, will reunite in the same event on Sunday. Photo: Japan Cycling Federation.

Ceci Lee in Japan Track Cup action in the Izu Velodrome. Photo: Japan Cycling Federation

Ceci Lee with elimination race winner Yumi Kajihara (centre) and runner-up Chen Ning (left). Photo: Japan Cycling Federation

Reality bites for ‘immature’ Sun Yang, ‘masculine’ Wang Meng in life after Olympic glory

Four-time Olympic gold medallist Wang Meng featured in Sisters Who Make Waves 2026, a talent competition centered on the comeback of female celebrities over the age of 30. Photo: Weibo

Sun Yang and his wife Zhang Doudou, a former rhythmic gymnast, on a promotional poster for the travel variety show Viva La Romance. Photo: Weibo

Wang Meng (left) performed on stage alongside other female celebrities aged over 30. Photo: Weibo

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Swedish world record-holder sews up his win after two jumps while Norwegian Karsten Warholm is shocked in the 300m


Swedish world record-holder sews up his win after two jumps while Norwegian Karsten Warholm is shocked in the 300m.


Armand Duplantis

Armand Duplantis wins in Shanghai Diamond League meet but fails in world record bid

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Swedish world record-holder sews up his win after two jumps while Norwegian Karsten Warholm is shocked in the 300m

Swedish world record-holder sews up his win after two jumps while Norwegian Karsten Warholm is shocked in the 300m