SHANGHAI: Olympic champion Kirani James powered to victory against his controversial predecessor and his main rivals from London 2012 in the 400m at Shanghai’s Diamond League meet yesterday.
But 110m hurdles Olympic champion and world record holder Aries Merritt was given a scare in a world championship season when he pulled up with an apparent injury after just three strides.
As Merritt called it quits at the first hurdle, American compatriot and reigning world champion Jason Richardson streaked to victory in 13.23sec.
Merritt said after the race that he had a “small cramp” and decided to pull out rather than risk a serious injury.
American Ryan Wilson finished second, while China’s emerging hurdling talent Xie Wenjun came third with a personal best time of 13.28sec.
Many sports fans in China hope the 22-year-old will follow in the footsteps of Liu Xiang, who has been forced out of the season with injury, with some reports in China doubting if he will return.
Liu became a national hero when he claimed China’s first Olympic track and field gold at Athens in 2004, but then suffered injury heartbreak in the Beijing and London Games.
In the 400m, Grenada’s James raced ahead on the final bend to edge 2008 Olympic champion, the USA’s Lashawn Merritt, into second place. Luguelin Santos of the Dominican Republic, the silver medallist from last summer’s Games, was third, more than a second behind James, who crossed the line at a season’s best 44.02.
Merritt would have been well known to fans in a damp Shanghai Stadium after he claimed gold at in China’s showcase Olympics in Beijing. AFP
