Kirani James wins big as Gay finishes second in comeback

Olympic champion Kirani James produced an outstanding performance to beat LaShawn Merritt in the 400m on thursday the 3rd of july as the next stage of the IAAF daimond league visited Lausanne, Switzerland once again.

The 21-year-old ran a time of 43.74sec making him the joint fifth fastest of all time in the event alongside Merritt, which was also a personal best and a national and Diamond League record. Merritt, who is the reigning world champion, ran a time of 43.92secs which was the second best ever recorded without winning. Their rivalry is one of the hottest in the athletics world at the moment

Tyson Gay's comeback race following his reduced doping ban ended in 100 metres defeat at the hands of fellow American Justin Gatlin.  world silver medallist who has been in very good form all season, stayed undefeated on the term when he flashed to a new world-leading time of 9.80secs, the second fastest time of his career. Gay clocked a respectable 9.93secs placing second on the night.


The women's 100m needed a photo-finish. Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye who had never before competed in an IAAF Diamond League meeting was a surprise winner of the women's 100m after catching and stealing pole position from double world silver medallist Murielle Ahoure of the
Ivory Coast, with both women clocking 10.98sec.

Panama’s Alonso Edward also stole the show in the 200m speeding to victory in 19.84secs, blowing away double Olympic silver medallist Yohan Blake on his return placing sixth in 20.48sec Jamaica's Nickel Ashmeade placed second and Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre third.

Ukraine's World high jump champion Bogdan Bondarenko won the latest high quality men's competition this season with an effort of 2.40 metres, taking the verdict on countback over fellow countryman Andriy Protsenko, for whom 2.40m was a personal best.

Pascal Martinot-Lagarde produced the performance of his life in arguably the highest-quality sprint hurdles race of the year so far to cross the line in a personal best of 13.06secs to move to fifth on the European all-time list in the 110m hurdles.

There was a dramatic finish to the men's 1,500m, where Kenyan Ronald Kwemoi sprinted to beat Silas Kiplagat, shaving some 11 seconds of his personal best in 3:31.48. The 18-year-old Kenyan has never lost a 1500m race. Kiplagat clocked 3:31.81, just a fraction ahead of James Magut (3:31.91) in a clean sweep for Kenya.

Olympic champion Greg Rutherford had to be content with second place in the long jump, with his 8.19m not enough to beat Diamond Race leader Jeff Henderson (8.31m) of America.

France's 2012 Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie (5.87m) claimed the pole vault ahead of Brazilian Thiago Braz (5.72m).