Kellie Wells ran to a world leading time in the 100m hurdles to lead a squad of Americans in winning six events in the first meet of the 2011 Samsung Diamond League series today in Doha, Qatar.
The IAAF Samsung Diamond League encompasses 32 individual event disciplines, with a points scoring 'Diamond Race' which runs throughout the 14 meeting series. In the inaugural season, Americans won 11 of the 32 Diamond Races. Winners of each Diamond Race will get a Diamond Trophy and a cash prize. For more details on the league, click here.
In the 100m hurdles, Americans filled seven of the eight lanes on the track, and dominated the podium. Wells remains undefeated in 2011 by running a world lead of 12.58 to equal her personal best. Danielle Carruthers finished in second in 12.64, and Lolo Jones took third in 12.67. The trio was joined by fourth-placer Ginnie Crawford in 12.73 to turn in the four fastest times by Americans this year.
Funmi Jimoah leapt to a world leading mark of 6.88m/22-7 on her first jump to win the women's long jump. She beat a strong field of European jumpers, including two of the women ranked in the top ten in the world by Track & Field News for 2010.
The men's high jump saw American Jesse Williams square off with Kyriakos Ioannou of Cyprus, with both men besting the meet record with marks of 2.33m/7-75. However, Williams recorded fewer misses throughout the competition, and was awarded the win.
The USA brought home three more wins in the flat sprints. Allyson Felix looked smooth in her first individual event of the year where she ran to a world leader in 50.33. Walter Dix ran away from the field in the men's 200m to equal the meet record and set the world lead in 20.06. Fellow American, Jordan Boase claimed 4th in 20.60. LaShaunte'a Moore and Charonda Williams went 1-2 in the women's 200m in times of 22.83 and 22.95.
Throwers Reese Hoffa and Ryan Whiting racked up points for the Diamond Race by claiming second and third in the men's shot put. Hoffa threw 21.27m/69-9.5, and Whiting tossed a season best mark of 21.23m/69-8.
The Doha Diamond Leauge meet will be broadcast on Universal Sports at 8:00 p.m. ET tonight. Full results are available at DiamondLeauge.com The next Diamond League meet is on May 15 in Shanghai.
About USA Track & Field
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track & field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, the World's #1 Track & Field Team, the most-watched events at the Olympics, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport, and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States: www.usatf.org.
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