STOCKHOLM, Aug 23: Recently-crowned world champions LaShawn Merritt, David Oliver and Meseret Defar swept to Diamond League victories on Thursday, just four days after the Moscow world championships ended.

In the 400m, Merritt equalled his best performance of the year achieved in the Russian showpiece with victory in 43.74sec.

Fellow American Oliver also celebrated victory in a time of 13.21sec.

Ethiopia’s Defar, who took the world 5000m title in Moscow, dominated the 3,000m on Thursday, improving the best time of the season by 11 seconds.

World long jump champion Aleksandr Menkov of Russia took victory with his final attempt of 8.18m.

There were also wins for fellow world champions, Zuzana Hejnova in the women’s 400m hurdles, and Russia’s Svetlana Shkolina in the high jump thanks to a leap 1.98m.

New Zealand’s shot put champion Valerie Adams was a winner with 20.30m while 800m gold medallist in Moscow, Eunice Sum of Kenya was also in cruise control.

Results: Men’s: 110m hurdles: 1. David Oliver (USA) 13.21; 2. Sergey Shubenkov (RUS) 13.35; 3. William Sharman (GBR) 13.36

200m: 1. Serhiy Smelik (UKR) 20.54; 2. Jaysuma Saidy Ndure (NOR) 20.58; 3. Rasheed Dwyer (JAM) 20.64

400m: 1. LaShawn Merritt (USA) 44.69; 2. Luguelin Santos (DOM) 45.25; 3. Pavel Maslak (CZE) 45.33

1,500m: 1. Ayanleh Souleiman (DJI) 3:33.59; 2. Silas Kiplagat (KEN) 3:33.92; 3. Nixon Kiplimo Chepseba (KEN) 3:34.05

3,000m steeplechase: 1. Hillary Kipsang Yego (KEN) 8:09.81; 2. Gilbert Kirui (KEN) 8:11.55; 3. Conseslus Kipruto (KEN) 8:12.35

Long jump: 1. Aleksandr Menkov (RUS) 8.18; 2. Godfrey Khotso Mokoena (RSA) 8.06; 3. Eusebio Caceres (ESP) 8.00

Discus: 1. Piotr Malachovski (POL) 65.86; 2. Ehsan Adadi (IRI) 63.64; 3. Martin Wierig (GER) 63.20

Women’s: 100m: 1. Kerron Stewart (JAM) 11.24; 2. Alexandria Anderson (USA) 11.25; 3. Barbara Pierre (USA) 11.29

400m hurdles: 1. Zuzana Hejnova (CZE) 53.70; 2. Kaliese Spencer (JAM) 54.88; 3. Dalila Muhammad (USA) 55.74

800m: 1. Eunice Sum (KEN) 1:58.84; 2. Alysia Montao (USA) 1:58.96; 3. Malika Akkaoui (MAR) 1:59.74

3,000m: 1. Meseret Defar (ETH) 8:30.29; 2. Mercy Chenoro (KEN) 8:31.23; 3. Sifan Hassan (ETH) 8:32.53High jump: 1. Svetlana Shkolina (RUS) 1.98; 2. Anna Chicherova (RUS) 1.98; 3. Mariya Kuchina (RUS) 1.94

Pole vault: 1. Silke Spiegelburg (GER) 4.69; 2. Yarisley Silva (CUB) 4.59; 3. Fabiana Murer (BRA) 4.59

Triple jump: 1. Caterine Ibarg|en (COL) 14.61; 2. Olha Saladukha (UKR) 14.07; 3. Hanna Knyazheva (ISR) 13.95

Shot put: 1. Valerie Adams (NZL) 20.30; 2. Christina Schwanitz (GER) 19.26; 3. Michelle Carter (USA) 18.56.—AFP