SHANGHAI, May 19: China’s Liu Xiang won the Shanghai Diamond League meet 110m hurdles on Saturday in a season-leading 12.97sec as he strengthened his bid to reclaim the Olympic title.

Liu won it comfortably from America’s David Oliver and world champion Jason Richardson, to the delight of his screaming home-town fans, before ripping off his vest in an excited celebration.

Oliver timed 13.13 and Richardson clocked 13.16, while world indoor champion Aries Merritt was fourth. With just two months to go, Liu has laid down an important marker for the London Olympics.

In other results, Jamaican Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown beat America’s Carmelita Jeter in the women’s 100m, while former world record-holder Asafa Powell raised his hopes for London by winning the men’s 100m in 10.02sec.

Powell timed six hundredths of a second quicker than America’s Michael Rodgers, who was recently hit with a nine-month, retroactive drug ban.

But there was heartbreak for Australia’s Olympic pole-vault champion Steve Hooker, who bombed out after failing his first three jumps -- a serious setback as he tries to battle back from an alarming crisis of confidence.

The fortunes of Hooker, who has also been hit by injury, sank so low that he was forced to qualify for London at a specially sanctioned meet held in front of just 150 supporters at his own, purpose-built training facility in Perth.

Hooker missed three jumps at 5.30 metres. China’s Yang Yansheng won the event with 5.65 while German Bjorn Otto, who has the season-leading vault of 5.82, was second.

Ethiopian distance legend Kenenisa Bekele also had an evening to forget as the Olympic champion finished fifth in the men’s 5,000m, nearly four seconds behind the winner, fellow Ethiopian Hagos Gebrhiwet, who timed 13min 11.00sec.

Rresults: Men’s: 100m: 1. Asafa Powell (Jamaica) 10.02; 2. Michael Rodgers (US) 10.08; 3. Nesta Carter (Jamaica) 10.16.

800m: 1. Leonard Kirwa Kosencha (Kenya) 1:46.04; 2. Timothy Kitum (Kenya) 1:46.20; 3. Andre Olivier (South Africa) 1:46.74 5,000m: 1. Hagos Gebrhiwet (Ethiopia) 13:11.00; 2. Thomas Longosiwa (Kenya) 13:11.73; 3. John Kipkoech (Kenya) 13:12.66 110m hurdles: 1. Liu Xiang (China) 12.97; 2. David Oliver (US) 13.13; 3. Jason Richardson (US) 13.16

400m hurdles: 1. Angelo Taylor (US) 48.98; 2. Justin Gaymon (US) 49.07; 3. Cheng Wen (China) 49.59

Pole vault: 1. Yang Yansheng (China) 5.65; 2. Bjoern Otto (Germany) 5.65; 3. Malte Mohr (Germany) 5.55

Triple jump: 1. Phillips Idowu (Britain) 17.24; 2. Will Claye (US) 17.12; 3. Christian Taylor (US) 16.96

Shot put: 1. Reese Hoffa (US) 20.98; 2. Dylan Armstrong (Canada) 20.93; 3. Ryan Whiting (US) 20.73

Javelin Throw: 1. Vitezslav Vesely (Czech Republic) 85.40; 2. Matthias De Zordo (Germany) 81.62; 3. Ari Mannio (Finland) 80.91

Women’s: 200m: 1. Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica) 22.50; 2. Carmelita Jeter (US) 22.62; 3. Blessing Okagbare(Nigeria) 22.71 400m: 1. Novlene Williams-Mills (Jamaica) 50.00; 2. Amantle Montsho (Botswana) 50.83; 3. Kaliese Spencer (Jamaica) 51.81 1,500m: 1. Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia) 3:57.77; 2. Abeba Arigawe (Ethiopia) 3:59.23; 3. Btissam Lakhouad (Morocco) 4:01.69 3,000m steeplechase:1. Milcah Chemos Cheywa (Kenya) 9:15.81; 2. Sofia Assefa (Ethiopia) 9:16.83; 3. Lydiah Chepkurui (Kenya) 9:22.66

High jump: 1. Chaunte Lowe (US) 1.92; 2. Zheng Xingjuan (China) 1.92; 3. Marina Aitova (Kazakhstan) 1.88.

Long jump: 1. Janay DeLoach (US) 6.73; 2. Blessing Okagbare (Nigeria) 6.64; 3. Funmi Jimoh (US) 6.53 Discus throw: 1. Sandra Perkovic (Croatia) 68.24; 2. Stephanie Brown Trafton (US) 64.20;3.Dani Samuels (Australia) 62.34—Agencies