Sergey Shubenkov after winning the 110m hurdles in Montreuil (© Jean-Pierre Durand)
Sergey Shubenkov posted the first sub-13-second performance of the year in the 110m hurdles when winning in 12.99 at the Meeting Elite de Montreuil on Tuesday (19).
Following convincing victories in Smolensk, Hengelo, Turku and Chorzow in recent weeks, the world silver medallist notched up his fifth consecutive win, aided by a slight 0.5m/s following breeze. His winning time was just 0.01 shy of the Russian record he set when winning the 2015 world title.
Brazil’s Gabriel Constantino set a South American record of 13.23 in second place, 0.05 ahead of Pascal Martinot-Lagarde.
Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis almost improved his own world U20 record, but instead had to settle for victory over world record-holder Renaud Lavillenie.
Duplantis opened with a first-time clearance at 5.61m to take a share of the lead. Lavillenie then took pole position with his opening clearance of 5.71m before Stanley Joseph exited the competition at the next height, leaving Duplantis and Lavillenie to battle it out for the win.
Duplantis, still just 18 years old, sailed over 5.81m on his first attempt to regain the lead. Lavillenie responded again with a first-time clearance at 5.86m, but Duplantis retaliated by getting over 5.91m on his first try.
Both men attempted to clear 5.96m but neither was successful, meaning Duplantis ended the competition as the winner.
Xie speeds to Chinese 100m record
One month after breaking his own Chinese record for 200m, Xie Zhenye sped to a national record over 100m in Montreuil.
The 24-year-old won in 9.97 (0.9m/s) to take 0.02 off the previous Chinese record set by world indoor 60m silver medallist Su Bingtian back in 2015. Commonwealth champion Akani Simbine finished second in 10.04.
Double world silver medallist Marie-Josee Ta Lou maintained her winning streak in the 100m, stopping the clock at 10.95. Carolle Zahi of France was second in 11.16.
Double world indoor champion Genzebe Dibaba had hoped to challenge the world best in the 2000m, but she fell a couple of seconds short of her target. She finished in 5:27.73, 0.23 shy of her PB and 2.37 adrift of Sonia O’Sullivan’s world best.
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF
