Diamond League: Amusan places third in Shanghai as Jackson wins women’s 200m

The Nigerian world record holder, Tobi Amusan, continued her strong start to the 2026 athletics season after producing an impressive third-place finish in the women’s 100m hurdles at the Diamond League meeting in Shanghai, China.

Amusan clocked a season’s best time of 12.41 seconds in a high-quality final contested against some of the world’s leading sprint hurdlers.

American athlete Masai Russell won the race in a meeting record and world-leading time of 12.25 seconds, while Bahamian star Devynne Charlton finished second after setting a national record of 12.38 seconds.

Amusan’s performance stood out not only because of the quality of the field but also due to her demanding travel schedule ahead of the race.

The Nigerian hurdler had only departed Ghana on Thursday after winning gold in the women’s 100m hurdles at the African Senior Athletics Championships in Accra before arriving in Shanghai on Friday for the Diamond League meeting.

Despite the long intercontinental journey, fatigue and limited recovery time, Amusan still delivered one of the fastest times of her season and remained competitive against a stacked international field.

Her latest performance further underlined her consistency at the elite level as she continues preparations for the major global championships later in the year.

Elsewhere, the double world 200m champion took a decisive early-season victory against a strong field in China.

Shericka Jackson laid down a marker after beating a high-quality women's 200m field at the first Diamond League meeting of the 2026 season in Shanghai (May 16).

In what was her fastest season opener in the 200m since running 21.98 in Rabat in 2023 – the same year she won her second world title over half a lap – Jackson clocked 22.07 (0.3) to secure a dominant victory.

The Jamaican, who boasts a personal best in the 200m of 21.41 from three years ago, returned last season after a small tear in her Achilles tendon kept her out of the Paris Olympics. She secured a world 200m bronze medal in Tokyo, finishing behind Hunt and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.

Jackson was imperious here and never looked back after leading off the bend into the home straight, with double Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo – competing in her first Diamond League since Zurich three years ago – was second in 22.26.

The men's 100m proved much closer and was won by South Africa's Gift Leotlela, beating a strong line-up with 9.97 (0.6). He just finished ahead of Ferdinand Omanyala and Kenny Bednarek, who both clocked 9.98.

Leotlela took the victory from lane one and carried on his good form from the back end of last year, when he ran a personal best of 9.87 at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.