In Xiamen, Christian Coleman ran a 100-meter dash that was just as quick as the world record set earlier this year.
At the World Championships, the American ran the same time (9.83 seconds) as his countryman Noah Lyles, and in June, British record holder Zharnel Hughes ran the same time (9.83 seconds).
Although he placed fifth at the world championships, Coleman was able to beat out Kishane Thompson of Jamaica in the fifth place race in China.
The best performance by a British athlete at the Diamond League tournament came from Melissa Courtney-Bryant, who finished fourth in the women’s 1500-meter race.
Four women finished the race in under four minutes, and the winner was Ethiopia’s Lemlem Hailu, who outran Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir in the final stretch.
The 30-year-old Briton, Courtney-Bryant, came in third, 3 minutes, 58.22 seconds after the winner, Australian Linden Hall.
The men’s 100-meter dash, however, was the highlight of the competition.
You may tune in to the Xiamen Diamond League game on iPlayer.
Coleman jumped out to an early lead and kept it to stave off a challenge from Thompson by less than a second. In third place was the United States’ 2022 world champion, Fred Kerley.
In retrospect, World 100m Champion Coleman stated, “It hurt a little bit, but I knew what I was capable of doing and I knew what I was ready to do.” This was after Coleman won the title at last month’s World Championships.
Then I started thinking about the next chance I had to succeed. I knew this would be a top-tier competition and a great chance to get back on track, so I came here.
In the men’s 800 meter race, Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi was another star performer, setting a new world record with a timing of 1 minute, 43.20 seconds to defeat the defending world champion, Canada’s Marco Arop. Daniel Rowdon and Ben Pattison, both of Great Britain, came in fifth and ninth, respectively.
Olympic champion Hansle Parchment of Jamaica won the men’s 110-meter hurdles in 12.96 seconds. World champion Grant Holloway of the United States was defeated for only the second time in 2023, finishing in third place.
Beatrice Chebet of Kenya won the women’s 3,000-meter run in a world-best 8 minutes, 24.05 seconds, while Victoria Ohuruogu of Great Britain finished seventh in the women’s 400-meter run, which was won by Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic.
The next stop on the Diamond League tour is Brussels on September 8, with the finals taking place in Eugene, Oregon on September 16-17 in the United States.
