Gong brings hosts opening gold, Su wins 100m at Shanghai Diamond League

China's top sprinter Su Bingtian stormed to win the non-points scoring men's 100m race, and world silver medalist Gong Lijiao scored a convincing victory in women's shot put in the opening event, while ace high jumper Zhang Guowei stopped early in the title fight at the 2017 Shanghai Diamond League here on Saturday.

Su raced to his season best time of 10.09 seconds to win the men's 100m to send the home spectators into ecstacy, although it was not a scoring event in the second stop of the prestigious league.

"I ran faster than I had expected," said Su, 27, who was the first Chinese to reach the world men's 100m final in 2015 Beijing World Championships.

"Since the London World Championships is still months away, I will not think too much about it now and just horn my skills and keep a steady form," said Su.

The men's high jump did not see too much show from 2015 worlds' runner-up Zhang Guowei and Rio Olympics champion Derek Drouin even failed to clear the first bar at 2.20 meters.

Still troubled by a hip injury, Zhang stopped at 2.24m while teammate Wang Yu went on to clear 2.30m to take the silver. Qatar's Rio Olympics runner-up Mutaz Essa Barshim won the gold in 2.33, five centimenters away from the meet record he set here in 2015. Ukraine's Andriy Protsenko came third.

Earlier, world silver medalist Gong Lijiao scored a convincing victory in women's shot put in 19.46 meters in the opening event of the night.

A throw of 19.29m in the fifth round already helped the 28-year-old Chinese to clinch the gold, but she went on to hurl her winning mark of 19.46 meters in the sixth round to demonstrate her dominance.

Daniella Bunch of the United States finished second at 18.98m and Hungary's Anita Marton, the bronze medalist at Rio Olympic Games, took the third place at 18.69m.

It is the third time for Gong to win the Diamond League Shanghai meeting, following her victories in 2011 and 2015 respectively.

In the men's 400m hurdles, former world champion Bershawn Jackson bounced back to take an early season win while Rio Olympic champion Kerron Clement finished a disappointing fourth.

The American, 34, clocked a meet record time of 48.63 while South African LJ van ZYL came second in 49.35. The 25-year-old Rasmus Magi from Estonia, the youngest in the field, took the bronze in 49.38.

"It was great, I felt good. I didn't back off too much down the back straight and executed coming home," said Jackson, 2005 Helsinki world champion and 2008 Olympics bronze medalist. "You know I had a terrible season last year. I lost my father and my best friend. This season I'm mentally back. I've had a long career and this will be my last year in the sport."

"I just want to go out with a bang," he said.

Last year's League Diamond Race winner Clement had to settle for fourth while 2015 Beijing World Championships winner Nicholas Bett of Kenya finished eighth in over 50 seconds.

Women's 1,500m saw reigning Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya clocking a world lead time of three minutes and 59.22 seconds to retain her title here. Ethiopia's Dawit Seyaum finished second in 4:00:52 and her compatriot Besu Sado finished third in 4:03.10. Endit