KEQIAO, China, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The 2026 Diamond League kicked off in Keqiao on Saturday, witnessing Dutch female shot putter Jessica Schilder shatter the Diamond League record with 21.09 meters, and Swedish pole vault star Armand Duplantis set a new meeting record of 6.12 meters.
In the men's pole vault, victory was little in doubt. Apart from the two-time Olympic champion Duplantis and Kurtis Marschall of Australia, all other competitors topped out at 5.70 meters. Once Marschall cleared 5.80 meters but failed in 5.90 meters, the event became a solo show of Duplantis, who just set his 15th world record with 6.31 meters this March.
The 26-year-old cleared 6.12 meters easily to set a new meeting record. Then he decided to challenge a new world record, but failed to clear the bar of 6.32 meters in all three attempts.
"I'm glad that I was able to take the meeting record. That was the main goal," Duplantis said. "The attempt at the world record were okay, but we will take some better ones next year. During the event, I wish I could improve the run-up, a little better approach, a little more speed, a little more energy, and then it will be good."
In the women's shot put, Schilder bagged gold. On her fifth-round throw, she unleashed a new Diamond League record of 21.09 meters.
"First competition is a big deal for me, it is always something I find quite hard," Schilder admitted. "My coach and I weren't happy with my first few throws, so we tried to adjust. We tried different things, and eventually it worked."
China's Olympic medalist Song Jiayuan finished sixth with 18.85 meters.
World champion Shericka Jackson of Jamaica clocked a season best of 22.07 seconds in women's 200m to claim the title. Chinese national champion Chen Yujie, just 17, refreshed a personal best with 22.84 seconds to finish seventh.
"It was a surprise for me. I caught a cold earlier this month at World Athletics Relays, and I've just been recovering. I hope to be in better form at the next Diamond League meet in Xiamen and then at the Asian Games in Japan," said Chen.
In the men's 110m hurdles, American sprinter Jamal Britt equaled his personal best of 13.07 seconds to edge defending champion Cordell Tinch, who took silver in 13.10 seconds. China's Liu Junxi and Xu Zhuoyi placed fifth and sixth, respectively.
Brazilian Alison dos Santos won a thrilling men's 300-meter hurdles in a personal best of 33.01 seconds, just 0.04 seconds ahead of Olympic champion Karsten Warholm.
"That was a great race. It was fun," dos Santos said. "This year I've focused on getting faster and developing more speed, and I think I've shown I have it. I could feel I was moving fast, and Karsten was right there. This sets me up well for the rest of the season. The speed work is paying off."
Gift Leotlela of South Africa won the men's 100m race with a season best of 9.97 seconds, while home favorite Xie Zhenye finished ninth with 10.27 seconds.
Monae Nichols of the United States won the women's long jump with a leap of 6.89 meters, and her compatriot Masai Russell claimed the women's 100m hurdles title with a meeting record of 12.25 seconds.
In the men's discus throw, Kristjan Ceh of Slovenia also broke the meeting record with 70.58 meters. Another new meeting record was set by Mark English of Ireland, who clinched the men's 800m title with a winning time of one minute and 43.85 seconds. ■
