Shangai Diamond League meeting, Sunday 15 May

Alright, let's get a thread going on the second leg of the Diamond League series that takes place in Shangai on Sunday. There is plenty to look forward to although Jenny Meadows is going to be the sole Briton in action there. But first things first so let's put up the starting lists over here:

http://www.diamondleague-shanghai.com/en/Live-StartlistsResults/Overview/

Just looking at the line-ups, could be some good action there I reckon. Lots to look forward too...

The Mens 100m and 110mH looks tasty.

These meetings don't seem to attract much interest from GB athletes. I know athletes need to be of a certain standard but frequently there are no more than a (small) handfull on show, which belies the high standards of many leading GB performers. Obviously early in the season this year and a long way to travel for just one event, so I'm not talking specifically about this meeting. Don't know whether that's down to the organisors and/or the athletes themselves.

Shame no Bolt or Gay in the 100m but gives Asafa Powell the chance to leave his mark.

Great start for Jenny Meadows with a commanding display to win the women's 800m in 2:00.45 off a quite poor paced first lap of 60.38 by Olga Solgatova (RUS), picking it up into and winding it up all round the second lap.

Malika Akkaui (MAR) was a well-beaten second in 2:01.45 and Angelica Chichoka of Poland third in 2:01.75 whereas Tatyana Andrianova (RUS) dragged home way back in 9th in 2:04.10.

Just saw Athens Olympic champion Liu Xiang mounting a substantial upset as he ended David Oliver's long unbeaten run over the high hurdles in the curtain-drawer event of the second Diamond League meeting in Shangai.

The Chinese got off to a flying start out of his blocks and maintained his composure and form all the way to a massive victory and mental boost in 13.07 secs (0.2m/sec), a world-leading mark, but I can't help but notice that Oliver was equally poor the other way round, by his own standards, through every phase of his race to come second in 13.18 secs.

Yet, I wouldn't expect a recurrence of that result often as the season unfolds and picks up later on while let's not forget that home advantage played a certain part in it all.

Aries Merritt was third in a SB of 13.24 and Jamaican Dwight Thomas fourth in also a SB of 13.31 secs.

Great win for Veronica Campbell-Brown in a SB of 10.92 secs (1.2m/sec) but I could also as well say that Carmelita Jeter's terrible start (0.225) pretty much handed the Jamaican the spoils as the American came blazing through and nearly snatched an impossible win at the end, setting 10.95 secs for second. Nevertheless, I'm not taking anything away from a brilliant performance by Veronica who is a pure class act herself.

Despite the outcome of the race, Jeter is still obviously the woman to beat over the distance this season and as Sir Chris Hoy once observed it's better to get the shake-up now than when it really matters.

The rest were left chasing shadows way behind including Sherone Simpson (JAM) and LaShantea Moore (USA).

Really tired, though, *chuckle* to hear once again of Asafa Powell "easing to the line". The man simply never runs through, have never seen him in my life do so even when a race is tight!

Very good run and well-executed first 50-60m in particular but Asafa really thrives when the pressure is off and he knows he's going to win. His time was 9.95 secs (0.3m/sec).

Mike Rodgers put in another good and consistent run in 10.01 secs in second and looks like building up to a very good season.

That was very good indeed from Jenny Meadows, very well controlled race. Bodes well for the rest of the summer...

I think Oliver hit at least 3 if not 4 hurdles and still did 13:18. Good for Meadows, nice to see her running so well

I could say that Oliver made a total hash from start to end of his race, Just A Runner, and even got the impression that he was running somewhat low thus hitting so many hurdles, one quite badly with his trail leg.

Olivers race was truly terrible. I think he was shocked at Lui Xiang's start and then felt him too much on his shoulder all the way down, and ended up giving it 120%, which meant he lost it technically, and thus he had a poor race.

Still not bad for 13.18, but that is what you get when you have his kind of power. If he gets his head right again after that, he will be back better and faster. I just hope he is ok mentally after that.

They looked very close in those lanes.

Powell, had another one of his races. Oh... when is he going to give it 100% all the way past the line.

Now that you've noted that Xiang and Oliver looked very close in their adjacent lanes, RyanBailey, the American almost got into the Chinese's lane at one point!

Enjoyed the meet but yet again one
of the distance races (W 5k) was
spoiled by the local broadcaster switching
during the latter stages to a field event.
For goodness sake if they are going to do
this use a 'split screen'.
It also happened at the prevoius meet during
an engrossing and super fast Men's 1,500m
Just get a grip , let the race finish then show
the action from the field.