2017 Shanghai Diamond League Recap: David Rudisha Trounced As The Sprinters and Jumpers Steal The Show
by LetsRun.com
May 13, 2017
Some great sprint action and an amazing series in the men’s long jump stole the show this evening (morning in the US) as the Asian portion of the 2017 IAAF Diamond League circuit came to an end with the 2017 Shanghai Diamond League meeting.
In the women’s 100, history’s fourth-fastest woman, Elaine Thompson, blitzed a 10.78 to win but the story of the night from an American perspective was 19-year-old Noah Lyles’ 19.90 win in his Diamond League debut in the men’s 200. He is just the fourth human to break 20 before age 20.
His race was so big it got its own recap:
LRC 19-Year Old Noah Lyles Arrives As A Star By Winning His Diamond League Debut in 19.90! (race video as well)
As he has all year, South Africa’s Luvo Manyonga put on a show in the men’s long jump. His final attempt was epic, as he got out to a Diamond League record of 8.61 meters (28-3), but what was even more impressive was his series. Though Manyonga fouled three times, his three legal jumps were all monsters: 8.48, 8.49 and, finally, 8.61. Any of the three would have been good enough to earn gold at the past three Olympics.
In the distance action, the favorites came through in impressive fashion with one big exception. For the second straight year, David Rudisha finished outside the top three in Shanghai, but this time he couldn’t blame incompetence by the starter for his defeat to young stud Kipyegon Bett as Kenyans Faith Kipyegon and Hellen Obiri won the 1500 and 5000 with ease and world record holder Ruth Jebet took the steeple.
We recap all of the events for you below starting with the distance action.
Talk about Shanghai on the fan forum / messageboard:
- Official 2017 Shanghai Diamond League Live Discussion Thread
- Noah Lyles Diamond League Debut is in 8 Hours Predictions For It and His 2017?
- Official 2017 Shanghai Diamond League Live Discussion Thread
Men’s 800: 19-year-old Kipyegon Bett crushes field to earn first career DL victory
19-year-old World U20 champ Kipyegon Bett of Kenya made a splash by almost winning his Diamond League debut at last year’s final in Brussels and he went one better tonight in Shanghai, crushing a solid field to win in 1:44.70 as Olympic champ David Rudisha was only 4th in 1:45.36 after leading for the first three-quarters of the race.
Though rabbit Bram Som was assigned 50.0 for the first 400, no one wanted to go with him. Rudisha got to the lead at the break and led the racers at 400 meters, but he was still over a second behind Som, who only came through 400 in 51.26.
There was only one move that mattered in this race, and it was made by Bett just before 600 meters, where he passed Rudisha to move into the lead. Bett pulled away on the final turn, opening up a five-meter gap as Olympic finalist Alfred Kipketer pulled up on Rudisha’s shoulder in second. But neither man could get close to Bett, who was still full of run and powered home to a dominant win. Rudisha, meanwhile, ran out of gas over the final 50 meters as Ferguson Rotich (on his inside) and 2014 Shanghai winner Robert Biwott (on his outside) moved up to take 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
800 Metres - Men
Pts
1 Bett , Kipyegon KEN 1:44.70 8
2 Biwott , Robert Kiptoo KEN 1:45.15 7
3 Rotich , Ferguson Cheruiyot KEN 1:45.17 6
4 Rudisha , David Lekuta KEN 1:45.36 5
5 Kipketer , Alfred KEN 1:45.40 4
6 Kszczot , Adam POL 1:45.45 3
7 Lewandowski , Marcin POL 1:45.87 2
8 McBride , Brandon CAN 1:46.40 1
9 Kupers , Thijmen NED 1:46.84
10 Loxsom , Casimir USA 1:49.44
11 Zhang , Dashan CHN 1:51.95
Som , Bram NED DNF
Quick Take #1: Bett is a rising star
The top Kenyan 800 runner is always going to be a threat for a medal at Worlds, and in a race that contained all three Kenyan Olympic finalists, Bett left no doubt who the best Kenyan was today as he won this one comfortably. We’d have been interested to see what Bett would have done at the Kenyan Olympic Trials last year — he ran 1:43.76 in Berlin in September, but skipped the Kenyan Trials to run the World U20 Championships instead. *Post race interview with Bett here
Quick Take #2: David Rudisha still has three months to round into form
This was Rudisha’s slowest season opener since 2007, when he was 18 years old. Still, Rudisha has shown over the last two years that he’s got the best speed of any 800 man in the world, and with a bye into Worlds, he doesn’t have to worry about getting through the Kenyan Trials and can peak hard for London.
Rudisha afterwards seemed upbeat and said he was “happy” and that “I hope to improve in the next races coming up.” Flash interview below:
Quick Take #3: A rough one for Cas Loxsom
Loxsom, currently sponsorless after he was dismissed from the Brooks Beasts, was a nonfactor and could only manage 1:49.44 for 10th place.
Women’s 1500m: Faith Kipyegon hits the turbo boost
Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya was expected to win the women’s 1500 and she did so in utterly dominant fashion as she crushed the field by more than a second in a world-leading 3:59.22 thanks to a 58.44 final lap. 2014 World junior champ and 2016 Olympic finalist Dawit Seyaum of Ethiopia, who has a 3:58.09 pb, was the only one remotely close as she was second in 4:00.52. Ethiopia’s Besu Sado was nearly four full seconds back in third (4:03.10) and Morocco’s Rababe Arafi was fourth (4:04.94) as the four Rio Olympic finalists in the field went 1-2-3-4. Two Americans were in the field. Katie Mackey ran 4:07.15 for 8th and Cory McGee was next to last in 4:09.94.
The race
Kipyegon pulled clear in the final 100
Jenny Meadows was tasked to take the field through 800 in 2:08. After she hit 400 a bit slow (65.51), she accelerated and no one wanted to go with her as soon there was a gap between her and Kipyegon. So Meadows slowed back down and Kipyegon was right on her at 800 (2:11.44) with most of the field already single-file behind her.
As the runners approached the bell, the final top three had already separated themselves from the field. With 200 to go, Seyaum was 3-4 meters behind Kipyegon and that gap stayed fairly constant for most of the turn. It wasn’t until they hit the the finishing stretch that Kipyegon really started to put on a lot of ground on Seyaum.
1500 Metres - Women
Pts
1 Kipyegon , Faith Chepngetich KEN 3:59.22 8
2 Seyaum , Dawit ETH 4:00.52 7
3 Sado , Besu ETH 4:03.10 6
4 Arafi , Rababe MAR 4:04.94 5
5 Akkaoui , Malika MAR 4:05.83 4
6 Cichocka , Angelika POL 4:06.23 3
7 Bobocea , Claudia ROU 4:06.33 2
8 Mackey , Katie USA 4:07.15 1
9 Koster , Maureen NED 4:07.38
10 Samuel , Alemaz ETH 4:07.41
11 Hall , Linden AUS 4:07.59
12 Blundell , Jenny AUS 4:07.72
13 Magnani , Margherita ITA 4:09.65
14 McGee , Cory USA 4:09.94
15 Zhong , Xiaoqian CHN 4:20.23
Meadows , Jennifer GBR DNF
Quick Thought #1: Talk about total dominance.
The fact that only one woman could stay within 3.5 seconds of Kipyegon shows you how dominant she was in this one. A 58.44 is a really great close for most people, but not Kipyegon. Remember, last year she closed the Olympics in 1:57.3 to win gold. And the scary thought is last year in Shanghai she was even more dominant and brilliant. Last year, she closed a 3:56.82 race in nearly the same time (58.54) and won by a massive 2.52 seconds in 3:56.82, a world leader and Kenyan national record.
Quick Thought #2: Not a good day for the Americans
We imagine neither Katie Mackey nor Cory McGee is happy with their finishing time. Both women actually opened up in the 1500 last year faster in California than they did today. Last year, Mackey opened outdoors at 4:06.33 and today her time was 4:07.15. McGee opened last year up in 4:09.38 and today she ran 4:09.94.
Women’s 5000: Helen Obiri Moves to #6 All-Time In 14:22
One year ago, Almaz Ayana put on a show in Shanghai with a shocking 14:14, at the time a Diamond League record and the third-fastest performance in history. Hellen Obiri — who went on to beat Ayana in Rio last year — didn’t run quite that fast today, but she was still utterly dominant as she ran the last kilometer totally alone to clock 14:22.47 and move up to #6 on the world all-time list.
The race went out quickly, with rabbit Tamara Tverdostup passing 1k in 2:52.93 (14:24 pace), but she couldn’t handle it for long and by 2k (5:47.73), Obiri had already taken over. By 3k (8:41.38), the field was totally strung out and the lead group was down to three women — Obiri and two Ethiopians, two-time World U20 XC champ Letesenbet Gidey and 2015 World Champs runner-up Senbere Teferi. Teferi quickly fell off as Obiri kept her foot on the gas, and Gidey eventually broke as well just before 4k.
That left Obiri on her own for the final two and a half laps, but with a PR in sight, she had no intention of easing up, blasting the last 1k in 2:48.96 (last lap: 64.54) to win in a stellar 14:22.47. Obiri’s final 3k would have been an outstanding race on her own as she covered the distance in 8:34.74.
Teferi wound up running down Gidey for second, clocking 14:31.76, while the 19-year-old Gidey became the third-fastest junior in history by running 14:36.84 for third. The Nike Oregon Project’s Sifan Hassan was a DNS.
5000 Metres - Women
Pts
1 Obiri , Hellen Onsando KEN 14:22.47 8
2 Teferi , Senbere ETH 14:31.76 7
3 Gidey , Letesenbet ETH 14:36.84 6
4 Kipkemboi , Margaret Chelimo KEN 14:45.95 5
5 Kipkirui , Caroline Chepkoech KEN 14:51.87 4
6 Assefa , Sofia ETH 14:56.37 3
7 Lewetegn , Sentayehu ETH 15:08.57 2
8 Chelangat , Mercyline UGA 15:09.45 1
9 Diro , Etenesh ETH 15:09.49
10 Abreha , Tsige ETH 15:18.32
11 Tesfay , Haftamnesh ETH 15:20.71
12 Krause , Gesa Felicitas GER 15:24.53
13 Vastenburg , Jip NED 15:47.97
Thackery , Calli GBR DNF
Tverdostup , Tamara UKR DNF
Hassan , Sifan NED DNS
Quick Take #1: Is Obiri the favorite at Worlds?
Even with Olympic champion Vivian Cheruiyot moving to the roads, there should be a lot of talent in the 5,000 at Worlds this year. Ayana, the reigning world champ, will be eager to get revenge after being upset in Rio last year, but Obiri is already in great form. Plus Laura Muir has already said she will be attempting the 1500/5k double, which is something Genzebe Dibaba (14:15 pb) could also do.
It’s too early to anoint a favorite, especially considering Dibaba and Ayana have yet to race a 5k this year. Dibaba will be shooting for the world record at the Pre Classic on May 26, while Ayana will be running in Rome on June 8 (against Dibaba) on the same track where she ran 14:12.59 (#2 all-time) last year. Check back in a month and we’ll have a much clearer picture of the event.
Quick Take #2: 14:36 is flying for Letesenbet Gidey
Gidey deserves props for bravely trying to go with Obiri, but it likely cost her a few seconds as she ran her final kilometer in over three minutes. Still, 14:36 is a remarkable time for a 19-year-old — remember, the American record is 14:38.
Per Tilastopaja.net, the only juniors to have run faster than Gidey were Tirunesh Dibaba (14:30.88) and Sentayehu Ejigu (14:35.18), who did it in the same race in Oslo in 2004.
Jebet celebrates after finish
Women’s Steeple: Ruth Jebet Gets Back To Her Winning Ways
World record holder and Olympic champion Ruth Jebet bounced back from a third place finish in the Diamond League opener in Doha last week to get the win here in 9:04.78 ahead of Olympic silver medallist Hyvin Kiyeng.
The first set of rabbits took this one out slow through the kilometer mark (3:07). After the kilometer mark, the second rabbit, Caroline Tuigong, upped the pace and only Jebet responded. Jebet and Tuigong opened a 10-meter gap on the field and Jebet would maintain a gap the rest of the way. Jebet’s second kilometer was the quickest of the race (6:05.23 at 2km, 2:58.14 for the km) and while she didn’t have a ton left at the end, her lead was never threatened. Behind Jebet, Kiyeng and Celliphine Chespol, the world junior record holder, waged a fierce battle for second coming off the final water barrier with Kiyeng prevailing.
Stephanie Garcia of the US was 9th in a season’s best of 9:29.79.
3000 Metres Steeplechase - Women
1 Jebet , Ruth BRN 9:04.78
2 Jepkemoi , Hyvin Kiyeng KEN 9:06.72
3 Chespol , Celliphine Chepteek KEN 9:07.08
4 Tanui , Norah Jeruto KEN 9:15.35
5 Kirui , Purity Cherotich KEN 9:24.97
6 Adamu , Birtukan ETH 9:24.97
7 Chemutai , Peruth UGA 9:27.72
8 Chepngetich , Rosefline KEN 9:28.63
9 Garcia , Stephanie USA 9:29.79
10 Fente , Birtukan ETH 9:44.05
11 Puzakova , Anastasiya BLR 9:47.59
12 Claude-Boxberger , Ophélie FRA 9:48.09
13 Pease , Sarah USA 9:51.17
14 Landwehr , Katie USA 9:56.27
15 Zhang , Xinyan CHN 9:58.62
16 Mitchell , Victoria AUS 10:16.72
Gathoni , Ann KEN DNF
Gega , Luiza ALB DNF
Tuigong , Caroline Chepkurui KEN DNF
Quick Take #1: Jebet is back on top
Last year Ruth Jebet lost her Diamond League opener and then would never lose again, ending up as the world record holder and Olympic champion. This year she lost her Diamond League opener in Doha and now has won race #2. Where will she end up in 2017?
QT #2: The Women’s steeple is at another level
The days of running over 9:10 and contending in a race are over. If you want to be a contender in the steeple, start thinking about being able to run 9:00. The steeple last week in Doha was the first time four women had ever gone sub-9:10 in the same steeple. Three women did it tonight and we wouldn’t be surprised if that occurred at every Diamond League meet this year (the steeple was not a Diamond League event in Shanghai).
Sprints / Hurdles
Remember, the men’s 200 got its own article: LRC 19-Year Old Noah Lyles Arrives As A Star By Winning His Diamond League Debut in 19.90!
Women’s 100: Elaine Thompson scorches a 10.78!!
In the battle between the Olympic gold and silver medallists from Rio, Elaine Thompson of Jamaica showed she is certainly still the best in the world as she pulled away from Tori Bowie and got the win in a stellar 10.78 thanks to a brilliant final half in a race that was run into a .3 m/s headwind. Bowie, who got off to a good start and had the lead early, ended up way back in second in 11.04.
Video of race:
100 Metres - Women Wind: -0.3 m/s
Pts
1 Thompson , Elaine JAM 10.78 8
2 Bowie , Tori USA 11.04 7
3 Ta Lou , Marie-Josée CIV 11.07 6
4 Ahye , Michelle-Lee TTO 11.21 5
5 Ahouré , Murielle CIV 11.22 4
6 Campbell-Brown , Veronica JAM 11.23 3
7 Akinosun , Morolake USA 11.24 2
8 Williams , Christania JAM 11.33 1
9 Bartoletta , Tianna USA 11.49
Quick Take: On the TV broadcast, sprint expert Ato Boldon couldn’t stop raving about Thompson’s amazing run. He urged viewers to find a betting parlor and put money on Thompson, who has a 10.70 pb, for World Championship gold as he thinks she’ll become just the fourth woman to go under 10.70 later this year.
The 5 Fastest Women Ever at 100m
1 10.49 0.0 WR Florence Griffith-Joyner 1988
2 10.64 1.2 Carmelita Jeter USA 2009
3 10.65A1.1 Marion Jones USA 1998
4 10.70 0.6 AR Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce JAM 2012
4 10.70 0.3 AR Elaine Thompson JAM 2016
Men’s 100: Su wins it in front of the home fans
2015 World Championship finalist Bingtian Su, the first Asian man to make a WC 100-meter final, got the win on home soil in this non-Diamond League event in 10.09 after two false starts. Video of race here.
100 Metres - Men Wind: +0.1 m/s
1 Su , Bingtian CHN 10.09
2 Rodgers , Mike USA 10.13
3 Meité , Ben Youssef CIV 10.15
4 Cambridge , Aska JPN 10.19
5 Sani Brown , Abdul Hakim JPN 10.22
6 Collins , Kim SKN 10.30
7 Lawson , Jarrion USA 10.51
Kiryu , Yoshihide JPN DQ
Young , Isiah USA DQ
Men’s 110m Hurdles: Omar McLeod Wins Olympic Rematch
This one was a great battle between the Olympic gold (Omar McLeod of Jamaica) and silver medallists (Orlando Ortega of Spain) and it ended with the same result with McLeod coming out on top. McLeod and Ortega were side by side over the final few hurdles and just when you though Ortega might be pulling slightly ahead on the final hurdle, McLeod exploded the final few steps to get the win. Don’t let the .06 margin of victory deceive you, this one was very close until the final few steps.
110 Metres Hurdles - Men Wind: +0.5 m/s
Pts
1 McLeod , Omar JAM 13.09 8
2 Ortega , Orlando ESP 13.15 7
3 Xie , Wenjun CHN 13.31 6
4 Parchment , Hansle JAM 13.35 5
5 Shubenkov , Sergey ANA 13.35 4
6 Merritt , Aries USA 13.36 3
7 Traber , Gregor GER 13.41 2
8 Oliver , David USA 13.62 1
9 Porter , Jeff USA 13.70
Women’s 400: Shaunae Miller-Uibo destroys the field
Olympic champ Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas destroyed everyone in this one in a world-leading 49.77. The US’s Natasha Hastings was second but nearly a full second back in 50.74 and for good reason. Hastings and Miller were running in adjacent lanes (Miller in 6, Hastings in 7) and Miller had already made up the stagger and passed Hastings some 150 meters into the race.
If you are wondering if this is the earliest that Miller-Uibo has ever broken 50 flat in a season, the answer is no. Last year, she also broke 50 in her season opener at 400 but that 49.69 race was on April 16 in the Bahamas.
400 Metres - Women
Pts
1 Miller-Uibo , Shaunae BAH 49.77 8
2 Hastings , Natasha USA 50.74 7
3 Zemlyak , Olha UKR 50.89 6
4 Williams-Mills , Novlene JAM 51.45 5
5 McLaughlin-Whilby , Anneisha JAM 51.63 4
6 Swiety , Justyna POL 51.64 3
7 McPherson , Stephenie Ann JAM 51.97 2
8 Mitchell , Morgan AUS 52.23 1
9 Onuora , Anyika GBR 53.98
Men’s 400 hurdles: Bershawn Jackson gets the win and his first sub-49 since 2015
2005 world champ Jackson, who turned 34 on Monday, announced that this season will be his final in track & field, but he showed he’s still got it as he used his trademark late surge to get the win in Shanghai in 48.63, #2 in the world this year behind Qatari sensation Abderrahaman Samba. Jackson was the only man under 49 on the night as Olympic champ Kerron Clement was only 4th in 49.43.
Annsert Whyte of Jamaica was leading this around the final turn, but then Jackson made his late charge and dominated the final straight.
Afterwards, Jackson said mentally he wasn’t into it last year with the death of his father, but this year he is back on track.
400 Metres Hurdles - Men
Pts
1 Jackson , Bershawn USA 48.63 8
2 van Zyl , L.J. RSA 49.35 7
3 Mägi , Rasmus EST 49.38 6
4 Clement , Kerron USA 49.43 5
5 Culson , Javier PUR 49.90 4
6 Hussein , Kariem SUI 50.02 3
7 Whyte , Annsert JAM 50.18 2
8 Bett , Nicholas Kiplagat KEN 51.09 1
9 Koech , Haron KEN 52.13
Jumps
Men’s long jump: South Africa’s Luvo Manyonga puts together a ridiculous series
Manyonga, 26, the Olympic silver medallist who is still receiving treatment after battling a crystal meth addiction, is putting together a season for the ages in 2017. Already, he’s jumped 8.65 meters (28-4.5) and 8.62 (28-3.25), but those marks were at altitude, and tonight at sea level he won with a Diamond League record of 8.61 (28-3). Those three marks happen to be the best, second-best, and third-best jumps in the world in the past eight years.
Manyonga won the competition handily tonight, but he also recorded jumps of 8.48 and 8.49 in the same series — either of which would have been enough to win gold in Rio last year.
The Americans did not fare as well. Olympic champ Jeff Henderson could only manage 6th, yet that was still better than Marquis Dendy (9th) and Jarrion Lawson (11th — he also ran 10.51 in the 100) as Chinese men went 2-3-4.
Video of Manyonga’s jump below. Post jump comments here.
Long Jump - Men
Pts Wind
1 Manyonga , Luvo RSA 8.61 8 +0.7
2 Gao , Xinglong CHN 8.22 7 +0.1
3 Huang , Changzhou CHN 8.20 6 +0.1
4 Zhang , Yaoguang CHN 8.19 5 +0.8
5 Samaai , Rushwal RSA 8.18 4 +0.4
6 Henderson , Jeff USA 8.03 3 +0.2
7 Lasa , Emiliano URU 7.90 2 +0.1
8 Mokoena , Godfrey Khotso RSA 7.85 1 -0.3
9 Dendy , Marquis USA 7.80 -0.3
10 Lapierre , Fabrice AUS 7.74 +0.1
11 Lawson , Jarrion USA 7.49 +0.4
Men’s high jump: Barshim wins again
Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim earned his second win in nine days, clearing 2.33 meters to go with his 2.36 victory in Doha last week. Once again, Barshim won in impressive fashion as he won the competition without missing a bar before taking three unsuccessful attempts at 2.37. Barshim has finished 3rd, 2nd, 4th and 2nd at the last four global outdoor championships. Could this be the year he finally takes gold?
High Jump - Men
Pts
1 Barshim , Mutaz Essa QAT 2.33 8
2 Wang , Yu CHN 2.30 7
3 Protsenko , Andriy UKR 2.27 6
4 Kynard , Erik USA 2.24 5
4 Zhang , Guowei CHN 2.24 5
6 Bednarek , Sylwester POL 2.24 3
7 Grabarz , Robert GBR 2.20 2
7 Mason , Michael CAN 2.20 2
9 Ghazal , Majd Eddin SYR 2.20
Drouin , Derek CAN NM
Thomas , Donald BAH NM
Men’s Pole Vault: Sam Kendricks Wins Battle of Olympic Medallists
Olympic champ Thiago Braz, Olympic silver medallist, Renaud Lavillenie, and Olympic bronze medallist Sam Kendricks were all in this one. It came down to a battle between Lavillenie and Kendricks with Kendricks prevailing by clearing 5.88 on his second attempt. Neither he nor Lavillenie would clear 5.93 making Kendricks the champion. Thiago only managed 5.60 for 4th the same height as 3rd placer Shawn Barber.
Winning jump (Comments from Kendricks here)
Pole Vault - Men
Pts
1 Kendricks , Sam USA 5.88 8
2 Lavillenie , Renaud FRA 5.83 7
3 Barber , Shawnacy CAN 5.60 6
4 da Silva , Thiago Braz BRA 5.60 5
5 Filippídis , Konstadínos GRE 5.50 4
6 Holzdeppe , Raphael Marcel GER 5.50 3
7 Joseph , Stanley FRA 5.40 2
8 Yao , Jie CHN 5.40 1
Chiaraviglio , Germán ARG NM
Ménaldo , Kévin FRA NM
Xue , Changrui CHN DNS
Throws
Men’s Discus: Milanov Wins
2015 world championship silver medallist Philip Milanov of Belgium got the best of 2015 world champ (and 2-time Olympic silver medallist) Piotr Malachoswki of Poland in the men’s discus Philip Milanov with a third round throw of 64.94.
Discus Throw - Men
Pts
1 Milanov , Philip BEL 64.94 8
2 Malachowski , Piotr POL 64.36 7
3 Ståhl , Daniel SWE 64.14 6
4 Weisshaidinger , Lukas AUT 63.71 5
5 Harting , Christoph GER 63.47 4
6 Urbanek , Robert POL 61.94 3
7 Jasinski , Daniel GER 59.44 2
8 Kupper , Martin EST 57.97 1
Women’s discus: Sandra Perkovic stretches her win streak to 15
In recent years, there have been few things more certain in track & field than Croatia’s Sandra Perkovic in the women’s discus, and the five-time defending Diamond League champion kicked off her 2017 DL campaign with a victory — her 15th in a row overall — by tossing 66.94m to edge Aussie Dani Stevens (66.47).
In a Diamond League first, the men’s and women’s discus throws were contested out of the same throwing circle with men and women’ alternating rounds. Perkovic had the longest throw of the night overall (men’s winner Philip Milanov managed 64.94) — of course the men’s discus weighs twice as much (2kg vs. 1kg).
Discus Throw - Women
Pts
1 Perkovic , Sandra CRO 66.94 8
2 Stevens , Dani AUS 66.47 7
3 Caballero , Denia CUB 65.76 6
4 Müller , Nadine GER 64.36 5
5 Pérez , Yaimé CUB 63.79 4
6 Su , Xinyue CHN 62.87 3
7 Harting , Julia GER 62.49 2
8 Robert-Michon , Mélina FRA 61.43 1
9 Chen , Yang CHN 56.57
Women’s Shot: Gong Lijiao Wins
2012 Olympic silver medallist Gong Lijiao, who was 4th in Rio, got the win in her native China with a 19.46m throw in round six. Former Purdue thrower Dani Bunch of the US, who came into the meet #3 in the world at 19.12, was second in 18.98. Lijiao actually threw farther in each and every round as her progression was 18.35, 18.81, 18.98, 18.99, 19.29 and 19.46.
Shot Put - Women
Pts
1 Gong , Lijiao CHN 19.46 8
2 Bunch , Daniella USA 18.98 7
3 Márton , Anita HUN 18.69 6
4 Bian , Ka CHN 18.18 5
5 Smith , Brittany USA 17.95 4
6 Boekelman , Melissa NED 17.83 3
7 Leantsiuk , Yuliya BLR 17.70 2
8 Borel , Cleopatra TTO 17.64 1
9 Johnson , Felisha USA 17.47
10 Gao , Yang CHN 17.40