Liu blazes track to take home 110M hurdles
China's former Olympic and world 110 metres hurdles champion Liu Xiang ended American David Oliver's winning streak of 18 finals at the Shanghai Diamond League meeting on Sunday.
Liu's time of 13.07 seconds was one of five year's bests set at the second Diamond League meeting of the season.
His new starting technique of seven rather than eight steps to the first hurdle paid off as he recorded a comfortable victory over the American record holder, who had been unbeaten since Aug. 31, 2009.
Other year's bests came from Jamaican Kaliese Spencer in the women's 400 metres hurdles (54.20 seconds) and Kenyans Brimin Kipruto in the men's 3,000 steeplechase (8:02.28), Nixon Chepseba in the men's 1,500 (3:31.42) and Vivian Cheruyiot in the women's 5,000 (14:31.92). Former world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica won the men's 100 metres in 9.95 seconds and his compatriot, Olympic 200 champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, celebrated her 29th birthday with victory in the women's 100 in 10.92.
Norway's Olympic and world champion Andreas Thorkildsen pulled out of the men's javelin after four rounds with a leg injury and was forced to settle for second place behind Tero Pitkaemaeki. The Finn won with a throw of 85.33 metres to Thorkildsen's 85.12.
Australian Mitchell Watt equalled his own year's best with a meeting record of 8.44 metres in the men's long jump and said he was aiming for a medal at the world championships in Daegu, South Korea Aug. 27-Sept. 4. "I need to win a medal in Daegu, 8.50 is my goal this year, 8.49 is the Australian record so that will be something special," he said.
Results: Men: 100M: Asafa Powell (Jam)9.95S, 1; Michael Rodgers (US) 10.01, 2; Mario Forsythe (Jam) 10.12, 3. 400M: Calvin Smith (US) 45.47S, Greg Nixon (US) 45.50, 2; David Neville (US) 45.58, 3. 1500M: Nixon Kiplimo Chepseba (Ken) 3:31.42S, 1; Asbel Kiprop (Ken) 3:31.76, 2; Mekonnen Gebremedhin (Eth) 3:32.36, 3. 110M hurdles: Liu Xiang (Chn) 13.07S, 1; David Oliver (US) 13.18, 2; Aries Merritt (US) 13.24, 3. 3000M steeplechase: Brimin Kipruto (Ken) 8:02.28S, 1; Paul Kipsiele Koech (Ken) 8:02.42, 2; Hillary Kipsang Yego (Ken) 8:07.71, 3. Long jump: Mitchell Watt (Aus) 8.44M, 1; Su Xiongfeng (Chn) 8.19, 2; Ignisious Gaisah (Gha) 8.12, 3. Javelin Throw: Tero Pitkaemaeki (Fin) 85.33M, 1; Andreas Thorkildsen (Nor) 85.12, 2; Robert Oosthuizen (SA) 83.73, 3. Women: 100M: Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jam) 10.92S, 1; Carmelita Jeter (US) 10.95, 2; Blessing Okagbare (Nig) 11.23, 3. 800M: Jenny Meadows (Bri) 2:00.54S, 1; Malika Akkaoui (Mor) 2:01.45, 2; Angelika Cichocka (Pol) 2:01.75, 3. 5000M: Vivian Cheruiyot (Ken) 14:31.92S, 1; Sentayehu Ejigu (Eth) 14:32.87, 2; Linet Masai (Ken) 14:32.95, 3. 400M hurdles: Kaliese Spencer (Jam) 54.20S, 1; Lashinda Demus (US) 54.58, 2; Melaine Walker (Jam) 54.96, 3. High jump: Blanka Vlasic (Cro) 1.94M, 1; Nadiya Dusanova (Uzb) 1.90, Viktoriya Styopina (Ukr) 1.90, Zheng Xingjuan (Chn) 1.90, all second. Pole vault: Silke Spiegelburg (Ger) 4.55M, 1; Carolin Hingst (Ger) 4.50, 2; Mary Saxer (US) 4.50, 3. Triple jump: Yargelis Savigne (Cub) 14.68M, 1; Li Yanmei (Chn) 14.35, 2; Olga Rypakova (Kaz) 14.17, 3. Shot put: Gong Lijiao (Chn) 19.94M, 1; Jillian Camarena-Williams (US) 19.35, 2; Li Ling (Chn) 19.30, 3. Discus throw: Sandra Perkovic (Cro) 65.58M, 1; Li Yanfeng (Chn) 62.73, 2; Dani Samuels (Aus) 61.98, 3.
