SHANGHAI, (Reuters) – China’s former Olympic and world 110 metres hurdles champion Liu Xiang ended American David Oliver’s winning streak of 18 finals at the Shanghai Diamond League meeting yesterday.
Liu’s time of 13.07 seconds was one of five year’s bests set at the second Diamond League meeting of the season.
His new starting technique of seven rather than eight steps to the first hurdle paid off as he recorded a comfortable victory over the American record holder, who had been unbeaten since Aug. 31, 2009.
“It felt great,” Liu told reporters. “This is my first outdoor race of the season. I reacted the fastest from the blocks and my seven steps start worked very well for me.
“I am very, very satisfied with the time. I wasn’t quite expecting it but I do not think Oliver ran his best. I think he looked a little bit nervous. He was not very relaxed.”
Other year’s bests came from Jamaican Kaliese Spencer in the women’s 400 metres hurdles (54.20 seconds) and Kenyans Brimin Kipruto in the men’s 3,000 steeplechase (8:02.28), Nixon Chepseba in the men’s 1,500 (3:31.42) and Vivian Cheruyiot in the women’s 5,000 (14:31.92).
Former world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica won the men’s 100 metres in 9.95 seconds and his compatriot, Olympic 200 champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, celebrated her 29th birthday with victory in the women’s 100 in 10.92.
Norway’s Olympic and world champion Andreas Thorkildsen pulled out of the men’s javelin after four rounds with a leg injury and was forced to settle for second place behind Tero Pitkaemaeki. The Finn won with a throw of 85.33 metres to Thorkildsen’s 85.12.
“I felt something in my thigh, close to my knee,” Thorkildsen said. “I don’t know what it is. It happened on the runup.”