Amusan fails to make the podium at Diamond League Xiamen as Duplantis breaks world record

 Team Nigeria superstar and world record holder in 100m hurdles Tobi Amusan failed to make the podium at the Saturday World Athletics Diamond League Xiamen in China.

Amusan fifth finished on a day Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico finished strongly to edge the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.45 (0.2), overhauling world indoor 60m hurdles champion and world record-holder Devynne Charlton of The Bahamas by 0.01.

The 2022 world indoor champion Cyrena Samba-Mayela clocked a French record 12.55 in third, with the most recent two world outdoor champions and Danielle Williams of Jamaica (12.56).

At the meet, Sweden's Duplantis beats his record in men's pole vault

Duplantis, 24, cleared 6.24m, one centimetre above the mark he set in last September's Diamond League final.

It was the eighth time the reigning Olympic and world champion has broken the outdoor world record.

The US-born athlete is aiming to win a second Olympic gold at the Paris Games this summer.

Duplantis, whose stunning start to the outdoor track and field programme followed a second world indoor title in March, said it was "exciting to get my season going".

He entered the competition in Xiamen at 5.62m and also cleared 5.82m and 6.00m before being roared on by the crowd at the Egret Stadium to set a new world mark at his first attempt.

American Sam Hendricks finished second with 5.82, while China's Bokai Huang was third with 5.72.

He's got "God's hand on his back," said Hendricks of Duplantis, and added: "I've seen him from a 14-year-old come up and it makes me ever joyous to be even just second place behind the world record holder because I know he works so darned hard.

"He goes all over the place and he's becoming the true champion we all want him to be."