SHANGHAI, Sept 17: Olympic champion Liu Xiang swept to victory in the 110 metres hurdles on Saturday in front of his home crowd at the Shanghai Grand Prix. Liu, who equalled the world record of 12.91 seconds to win the Olympic title in Athens, beat four-times world champion Allen Johnson of the United States for victory in 13.05.

World and Olympic 100 metres champion Justin Gatlin took first place in the sprint, beating fellow American Leonard Scott in 10.01 seconds. Gatlin became only the second man after compatriot Maurice Greene to win the 100-200 double at last month’s Helsinki world championships.

Kenenisa Bekele, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) male athlete of the year, won his final race of the season, taking the 3,000 metres in 37 minutes 36.36 seconds.

The Ethiopian won the IAAF award earlier this month having retained his world 10,000 metres title, won the world cross long and short course races for a fourth successive year and breaking his record for the 5,000.

Female athlete of the year, Russian world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva, won pole vault with a comparatively modest height of 4.65 metres.

Isinbayeva set a record of 5.01 metres when adding the world title to her Olympic one.

Results

Men:

100m (wind: -0.4 m/s): 1.Justin Gatlin (USA) 10.01sec; 2. Leonard Scott (USA) 10.09; 3. Francis Obikwelu (POR) 10.11

200m (wind: -0.3 m/s): 1. Christopher Williams (JAM) 20.24; 2. Christian Malcolm (GBR) 20.42; 3. Marlon Devonish (GBR) 20.55

800m: 1. Wilfred Bungei (KEN) 1:45.35; 2. Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (RSA) 1:45.37; 3. William Yiampoy (KEN) 1:45.47

3000m: 1. Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 7:36.36; 2. Tariku Bekele (ETH) 7:36.63; 3. Boniface Songok (KEN) 7:37.70

110m hurdles: 1. Liu Xiang (CHN) 13.05; 2. Allen Johnson (USA) 13.20; 3. Shi Dongpeng (CHN) 13.40

High jump: 1. Vyacheslav Voronin (RUS) 2.31m; 2. Tora Harris (USA) 2.29; 3. Yuriy Krimarenko (UKR) 2.29

Long jump: 1. Dwight Phillips (USA) 8.39; 2. Ignisious Gaisah (GHA) 8.34; 3. Miguel Pate (USA) 8.05

Women:

100m (wind: +1.1m/s): 1. Chandra Sturrup (BAH) 11.02sec; 2. Lauryn Williams (USA) 11.05; 3. Melisa Barber (USA) 11.22

200m (wind: -0.9 m/s): 1. Allyson Felix (USA) 23.09; 2. Christine Amertil (BAH) 23.26; 3. Donna Fraser (GBR) 23.31

400m: 1. Tonique Williams-Darling (BAH) 50.25; 2. Dee Dee Trotter (USA) 50.90; 3. Monique Hennagan (USA) 50.92

800m: 1. Hasna Benhassi (MAR) 1:58.58; 2. Hind Dehiba (FRA) 1:59.75; 3. Janeth Jepkosgei (KEN) 2:00.20

5000m: 1. Meseret Defar (ETH) 14:58.79; 2. Meselech Melkamu (ETH) 15:01.83; 3. Gelete Burika (ETH) 15:01.84

Pole vault: 1. Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) 4.65m; 2. Monika Pyrek (POL) 4.55; 3. Gao Shuying (CHN) 4.45

Shot put: 1. Nadezhda Ostapchuk (BLR) 19.76; 2. Valerie Vili (NZL) 19.47; 3. Li Meiju (CHN) 18.77.—Agencies

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