Barshim creates Asian record

Qatari posts the best high jump mark since 2000; Gowda finishes sixth

Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim posted the best outdoor high jump since 2000 on Saturday with a winning leap of 2.40 metres, breaking the Asian record in the process at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting.

The Qatari's performance was the most impressive in a spate of season-leading efforts in the fourth of 14 stops in the IAAF's elite Diamond League series.

The 2012 Olympic bronze medallist is now tied with four other athletes as the fourth-best performers all-time outdoors in the discipline and his clearance was the highest indoors or out since the 2.40 of Russian Ivan Ukhov indoors in February of 2009.

He improved on the Asian record of 2.39 that he shared with China's Zhu Jianhua, Zhu setting the mark in 1984 and Barshim matching it in Lausanne in 2012.

Olympic gold medallist Renaud Lavillenie was also impressive, winning the men's pole vault in a season-leading 5.95 metres.

Tirunesh Dibaba won the women's 5,000 in a world-leading 14 minutes 42.01 seconds, Francine Miyonsaba of Burundi clocked a season's best of 1:57.72 in winning the 800 metres and the women's triple jump saw winner Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia with a leap of 14.93 and Ukraine's Olga Saladukha with a runner-up clearance of 14.85 both improve on the previous best this year.

Season's bests on the men's side also included German Robert Hartwig's winning discus throw of 69.75 metres, Kenyan Silas Kiplagat's mile triumph in 3:49.48 and Kenyan Edwin Soi's victory in the 5,000 metres in 13:04.75

Soi finished ahead of Britain's double Olympic champion Mo Farah, who switched from the 10,000 to the 5,000 this weekend after battling a virus but didn't quite have enough even at the shorter distance. Farah settled for second in 13:05.88.
India’s Vikas Gowda finished sixth in the men’s discus throw with an effort of 63.30M.

Results: Men: 100M: Justin Gatlin (US) 9.88s, 1; Michael Rodgers (US) 9.94, 2; Ryan Bailey (US), 10, 3. 200M: Nickel Ashmeade (Jam) 20.14s, 1; Walter Dix (US) 20.16, 2; Jason Young (Jam) 20.20, 3.  400M: LaShawn Merritt (US) 44.32s, 1; 2.  Kirani James (Gre) 44.39, 2; Tony McQuay (US) 45.31, 3.  800M: Mohammed Aman (Eth) 1:44.12s, 1; Timothy Kitum (Ken) 1:45.16, 2; Nick Symmonds (US) 1:45.40, 3.  One mile: Silas Kiplagat (Ken) 3:49.48, 1; Asbel Kiprop (Ken) 3:49.53, 2; Aman Wote (Eth) 3:49.88, 3.  5000M: Edwin Cheruiyot Soi (Ken) 13:04.75, 1; Mohamed Farah (Gbr) 13:05.88, 2; Yenew Alamirew (Eth) 13:06.45, 3.  110M hurdles: Hansle Parchment (Jam) 13.05s, 1; Orlando Ortega (Cub) 13.08, 2; David Oliver (US) 13.10, 3.  3000M steeplechase: Conseslus Kipruto (Ken) 8:03.59, 1; Paul Kipsiele Koech (Ken) 8:05.86, 2; Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad (Fra) 8:06.60, 3.  High jump: Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qat) 2.40M, 1; Erik Kynard (US) 2.36, 2; Derek Drouin (Can) 2.36, 3.  Pole vault: Renaud Lavillenie (Fra) 5.95M, 1; Bjoern Otto (Ger) 5.90, 2; Raphael Holzdeppe (Ger) 5.84, 3.  Discus throw: Robert Harting (Ger) 69.75M, 1; Piotr Malachowski (Pol) 68.19, 2; Ehsan Hadadi (Ira) 65.63, 3.

Women: 100M: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jam) 10.71s, 1; Blessing Okagbare (Nig) 10.75, 2; Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jam) 10.78, 3.  400M: Amantle Montsho (Bot) 50.01s, 1; Francena McCorory (US) 50.37, 2; Novlene Williams-Mills (Jam) 51.14, 3.  800M: Francine Niyonsaba (Bur) 1:56.72, 1; Brenda Martinez (US) 1:58.18, 2; Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei (Ken) 1:58.71, 3.  1500M: Hellen Onsando Obiri (Ken) 3:58.58, 1; Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon (Ken) 4:01.08, 2; Nancy Jebet Langat (Ken) 4:01.41, 3.  5000M: Tirunesh Dibaba (Eth) 14:42.01, 1; Mercy Cherono (Ken) 14:42.51, 2; Margaret Wangari Muriuki (Ken) 14:43.68, 3.  400M hurdles: Zuzana Hejnova (Cze) 53.70s, 1; Georganne Moline (US) 54.75, 2; Kaliese Spencer (Jam) 55.03, 3.  Triple jump: Caterine Ibargueen (Col) 14.93M, 1; Olha Saladuha (Ukr) 14.85, 2; Kimberly Williams (Jam) 14.78, 3.