The World Athletics Diamond League kicked off in style on Saturday in Xiamen, Fujian Province on the southeast coast of the Chinese mainland. China's Zhang Mingkun soared to victory in the men's long jump with a season-opening mark of 8.18m, unleashing cheers from the home crowd and setting the tone for a weekend of standout performances.
"It was my first time in Xiamen and competing in such a high-level event. I didn't jump well initially, but luckily I found my rhythm on the fifth attempt," Zhang said after sealing his gold-medal leap.
In the men's triple jump, Olympic silver medalist Zhu Yaming narrowly missed the top spot as Jamaica's Jordan Scott unleashed a personal-best 17.27m to claim gold. Zhu settled for silver with a 17.03m effort on his fourth attempt, demonstrating the depth of talent on display.
Home athlete Su Lingdan dug in for bronze in the women's javelin with 61.62m, while Greece's Elina Tzengko set a new event record of 64.75m for gold. Veteran shot putter Gong Lijiao added another bronze to her decorated career with a season-best 19.62m; the top spot was secured by the Netherlands' Jessica Schilder at 20.47m.
On the track, Liu Junxi smashed his personal best in the men's 110m hurdles, clocking 13.24 seconds for bronze behind the USA's Tinch Cordell, who ran a world-leading 13.06s. Sixteen-year-old Chen Yujie also turned heads in the women's 200m, blazing 22.99s to set a new Asian youth record in her Diamond League debut.
South Africa's Akani Simbine stamped his authority in the men's 100m with a 9.99s sprint, while home favorite Xie Zhenye crossed eighth in a season-best 10.23s, adding local flavor to the high-octane sprint showcase.
Olympic champion Karsten Warholm delivered a masterclass in the newly introduced men's 300m hurdles, surging to a world best 33.05s. The Norwegian dominated from start to finish, leaving Brazil's Matheus Lima (33.98s) and Japan's Ken Toyoda (34.22s) vying for silver and bronze.
World record holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden defended his pole vault title with a winning clearance of 5.92m despite tricky wind conditions. He fell short at 6.01m but kept the crown ahead of Greece's Emmanouil Karalis and the Netherlands' Menno Vloon.
In the women's high jump, Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh topped the podium by clearing 1.97m – the only mark over 1.94m on the night. Australia's Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers shared the next spots at 1.94m. Three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya rounded out the highlights with a 2:29.32 win in the women's 1000m, just 0.23s shy of the world record.
As the sun sets on Xiamen, athletes head into the season with fresh momentum. From home crowd heroes to rising global stars, this Diamond League opener has delivered a taste of the drama and excellence to come.
Reference(s):
China's Zhang Mingkun wins men's long jump at Diamond League in Xiamen
cgtn.com
