McLeod clocks world-leading time at Shanghai Diamond League

World and Olympic champion Omar McLeod led the Jamaican performances at Saturday's Diamond League meet in Shanghai, China, the second in the series of 14 meets. McLeod who was contesting his first 110 metre hurdles of the year, sped to a world leading 13.16 seconds to win the event for the third straight year.

He pipped arch arch rival Orlando Ortega of Spain who did 13.17 while fellow Jamaicans Ronald Levy and Hansle Parchment were fourth and fifth respectively in times of 13.33 and 13.44 seconds.

Commonwealth Games champion Janieve Russell ran a stout race and personal best 53.78 for the runner-up spot in the women's 400 metres hurdles won by Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad in 53.77 seconds, the second fastest time of the season and a mere 1-hundredth of a second faster than Russell. The other Jamaican who contested the event Leah Nugent, was sixth in 56.64 seconds.

There was a third place finish for Shericka Jackson in the women's 200 metres where she posted 22.36 seconds with the event going to Commonwealth Games champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas in a meet record and season best 22.06 seconds.

Elsewhere, there was also a runner-up spot for Shanieka Ricketts in the women's triple jump where she cut the sand at 14.55 metres with compatriot and Commonwealth Games champion Kimberly Williams finishing third with an effort of 14.35 metres. The event went to Olympic champion Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia who leapt 14.80 metres.

Commonwealth Games champion Daniel Thomas-Dodd also had a second place effort after throwing 18.70 metres in the women's shot put won by china's Gong Lijiao with a world leading 19.99 metres. Former national champion Javon Francis could only manage 9th in the men's 400 metres in 47.06 with Bahamian Steven Gardiner taking the event in a meet record 43.99 seconds.

Damar Forbes produced a season's best 7.99 metres for seventh in the men's long jump won by South Africa's Luvo Manyonga who cut the sand at 8.56 metres. The third meet in the 2018 Diamond League series is set for Eugene, Oregon on May 26.