China's young talent Gao wins long jump, Gatlin takes 100m at Shanghai Diamond League

Beijing worlds fourth-place finisher Gao Xinglong lept to the victory of men's long jump at Shanghai Diamond League on Saturday while Justin Gatlin raced to a winning start of his Diamond season.

The men's long jump was one of the highlights as the 22-year-old Gao secured the host's only title at this meeting in his second attempt with 8.14 meters while South African Rushwal Samaai grabbed silver, also in 8.14m, leaving Australian Fabrice Lapierre to the third place in 8.09m.

"I have been suffering from a foot injury so I am satisfied with the result," said Gao. "I looked at this meeting as a training session."

Wang Jianan, who was two days short of his 19th birthday when he bagged a bronze in Beijing World Championships last year, missed podium after coming 5th in 7.96m. Zhang Yaoguang was 6th and Huang Changzhou, the 21-year-old who won world indoor bronze in Portland, was 7th.

In another much anticipated race, last year's Diamond League winner Gatlin stormed to win in men's 100m.

The Beijing World Championships 100m and 200m silver medalist returned to China to lift the title in 9.94 seconds. Asian record holder Femi Ogunode came second in 10.07. The Qatari equalled the his own Asian record of 9.91 last month to lead the world standings. Michael Rodgers was third in 10.10.

The most dramatic event tonight, however, was the men's 110m hurdles where two false starts caused Orlando Ortega of Spain and American Aries Merritt to be disqualified.

The disqualification ruined Merritt's potential emotional return to China following a kidney transplant operation he had shortly after the Beijing World Championships last summer. He had a second surgery seven weeks later due to a complication.

Merrit protested before Jamaican Omar McLeod created this year's best time of 12.98 to win. Last year's worlds finalist Su Bingtian and his Chinese teammate Zhang Peimeng did not show up in the race while Xie Zhenye finished 8th and Mo Youxue, who missed the starting signal, came last and pulled his thigh muscle.

Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic opened her Diamond League campaign with a league record as the Croatian nailed the women's discus title in her fourth throw in 70.88 meters while Australian Dani Samuels finished second in 67.77m.

Beijing World Championships winner Denia Caballero, who beat Perkovic in Beijing last year with more than two meters, had to settle for the bronze in 66.14m. China's Su Xinyue posted a personal best of 64.45m to rank fourth.

The night's second world lead result came from the women's 1,500m where Kenya's world silver medalist Faith Kipyegon clocked three minutes 56.82 seconds to beat compatriot Hellen Obiri in 3:59.34. Dawit Seyaum of Ethiopia bagged a bronze in 3:59.87

World champion Hyvin Kiyeng of Kenya produced the meeting's third world lead result in women's 3,000m steeplechase, passing the finish line in 9:07.42. Former Kenyan world junior champion Ruth Jebet ran for Bahrain and brought her new home a silver with a time of 9:15.98. Olympic silver medallist Sofia Assefa had a bronze for Ethiopia in 9:21.07. Last year's Diamond Race winner, Virginia Nyambura of Kenya came fourth.

The women's high jump saw Beijing World Championship finalist Levern Spencer of St. Lucia cleared 1.94 meters to edge Nadezhda Dusanova of Uzbekistan who jumped over the same height but with more attempts. European bronze medallist Ana Simic from Croatia was third in 1.92.

Moscow worlds runner-up Murielle Ahoure of Cote d'Ivoire stunned the field to win the women's 200m in 22.72 seconds ahead of Two-time Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown. The Jamaican, who is aiming to complete an Olympic hat-trick in Rio later this summer, took silver in 22.82 while her fellow countrywoman Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby was third.

Kurt Roberts emerged the surprise winner in the men's shot put in 21.40 meters instead of his title favorite U.S. compatriots Joe Kovacs and Ryan Whiting.

World outdoor champion, Joe Kovacs, last year's Diamond Race winner walked away with a bronze in 20.82. New Zealand's recently crowned world indoor champion, Tom Walsh, took silver in 21.20. Two-time world indoor champion Whiting finished a disappointing 8th.

In the men's 800m, world and Olympic champion David Rudisha fell out of the podium with a fifth finish in 1:46.24, just three months ahead of his Olympic title defence in Rio.

However, Kenya still managed to make a podium sweep as Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich pulled off the victory in 1:45.68 ahead of Robert Biwott (1:45.84) and Alfred Kipketer (1:45.93).

Michael Tinsley of the United States clocked 48.90 to win the men's 400m hurdles and Bahamas' Shaunae Miller triumphed in women's 400m in 50.45.

Muktar Edris of Ethiopia shone in the men's 5,000m with this year's leading time of 12:59.96 while Serbian Ivana Spanovic won the women's long jump in 6.95m.

Germany's Thomas Rohler threw 85.71 meters to clinch men's javelin throw and in men's pole vault, Sam Kendricks of the United States cleared 5.88 to win. World record holder Renaud Lavillenie from France settled for second in 5.83, 33cm off his world mark. Endit