- Climate change worsened deadly Africa floods, scientists say
- Los Angeles Dodgers baseball icon Fernando Valenzuela dead at 63
- Indian capital's 'hazardous' air pollution season starts
- King Charles visits Samoa, where Commonwealth looks to shed stodgy image
- Cattle disease wreaks havoc in Libya
- Fernando Valenzuela: Iconic pitcher sparked 'Fernandomania'
- Warner offers to come out of retirement for India Test series
- Deyverson double gives Atletico Mineiro upper hand over River Plate
- Taipei says Chinese aircraft carrier group sailed through Taiwan Strait
- LeBron, Bronny James make NBA history with father-son appearance
- Deyverson double gives Atletico upper hand over River Plate
- Tokyo Metro: Asia's oldest subway goes public
- Shiffrin eyes 100 World Cup wins as legend Hirscher returns
- Asian markets mixed as rate cut bets are trimmed; US vote in focus
- From Colombia's jungle to the world's fish tanks
- Celtics dominate Knicks to launch NBA title defense
- North Korean leader Kim inspects missile bases, ballistic weapons
- Harris says US ready for woman president
- King Charles winds up Australia trip, flies to Samoa summit
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- Mourinho reunion a reminder of how little has changed for mediocre Man Utd
- Taiwan says Chinese warships sailing towards sensitive strait
- Chile ex-international footballer Valdivia held over rape complaint
- McDonald's linked to one death, dozens of food poisonings in US
- Miners, farmers protest COP16 host Colombia's nature protection plans
- Safieddine, the apparent Hezbollah heir who was killed by Israel
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- ABBA's Bjorn among 11,000 artists issuing AI warning
- Vinicius hat-trick saves Real Madrid in Champions League, Villa go top
- Mexico arrests suspected killer of prominent priest
- Toure snatches last-gasp win for Stuttgart at Juventus
- McDonald's linked to dozens of food poisonings, one death in US
- US regulator finalizes air taxi rules
- PSG pay for missed chances again in PSV Champions League draw
- Aston Villa beat Bologna to go top of the Champions League
- Vinicius treble fires Champions League holders Madrid to Dortmund comeback
- Arsenal grind out win over Shakhtar in Champions League
- Uganda fuel truck explosion kills 11
- Austria's Grand Slam winner Thiem ends career cheered on by home crowd
- Union sees 'tight' vote on contract to end Boeing strike
- Reijnders fires AC Milan to first Champions League points with Club Brugge double
- Record-breaking Liverpool vow to improve against Leipzig
- Uganda fuel truck explosion kills at least 10
- Forest owner Marinakis banned for spitting towards officials
- ECB chief Lagarde invites Trump to visit after central bank criticism
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- As Trump touts tariffs, Yellen says US has rejected 'isolationism'
- Argentina prosecutors deny releasing Liam Payne toxicology tests
- India, China and S.Africa leaders bolster Putin at key summit
Bol opens season with victory, Duplantis close to world record
Femke Bol marked her outdoor debut ahead of the Paris Olympics with victory in the 400m hurdles while Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis went close to bettering his own pole vault world record at the Diamond League meet in Stockholm on Sunday.
The Dutch hurdler, who set a world record when winning the 400m flat in the world indoors in Glasgow in March, was pushed early on by Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton and Andrenette Knight, in a field featuring five athletes from the final at last year’s world champs in Budapest.
But she held her form to easily pull clear down the home stretch, although her time of 53.07 seconds was slightly off the world lead of 52.70sec set by American arch-rival Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on Friday.
Duplantis made sure the vociferous home crowd had lots to cheer for in the men’s pole vault.
The US-born Swede wrapped up the competition with a winning height of 6.00m, but then had three very close attempts at 6.25m, 1cm higher than his own world record set at the Xiamen Diamond League six weeks ago.
Arguably, Algeria's Djamel Sedjati produced the performance of the meeting in the Swedish capital, the seventh on the 15-meet Diamond League circuit.
Sedjati, the 2022 world silver medallist, scorched to victory in the 800m in 1min 43.23sec, the fastest time of the season so far.
- Improved Jackson wins -
There was an improved showing in the 200m by Jamaica’s two-time world champion Shericka Jackson after a disappointing outing at the Oslo Diamond League meet on Thursday in which she finished fifth.
Jackson clocked a season’s best of 22.69m, but again looked slightly laboured.
Britain’s strength in depth in middle distance was again on show. Laura Muir claimed victory in the 1500m in 3:57.99 while teammate Jemma Reekie took the 800m in 1:57.79.
Muir, however, will not be part of the British team heading to the June 7-12 European championships in Rome, preferring instead to focus on the July 26-August 11 Paris Olympics.
"I have to bear in mind we are only at the end of May, start of June and it is all about August this year. That is when I need to be at my best," Muir said.
"I want to put everything I have into the Olympics. The champs would take too much out of training and I want to put all I can into the next two months of training as it is all about August this year."
Reekie will compete in the 1500m in Rome, but expects a tough battle to make the podium.
"I know that those 1500m girls are going to make it tough for me so it would be amazing to run away with a medal," she said.
Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh had a convincing victory in the women’s high jump, winning with a best of 2.00m, two jumps clear of a strong field.
In what was the Ukrainian’s outdoor opener, Mahuchikh said: "It is good for the start. I am looking forward to competing in Rome where I will defend my European title and I want to show a better result there.
"This was my first ever competition with my new run-up so I tried it but I need more practice and I am sure in Rome it will be better."
Alison Dos Santos made it three wins from three in the Diamond League with victory in the 400m hurdles in 47.02sec, fresh from having trumped Olympic champion and world record holder Karsten Warholm in Oslo.
"We have like whole group of athletes who are really doing well at the 400m hurdles,” said Dos Santos, who now returns to training camp in Florida before returning to do one more Diamond League meet before the Paris Games.
"I never get tired. Never ever. I am always ready."
American Chase Jackson followed the Brazilian’s footsteps, winning her third meet with a best of 20.00m in the women’s shot put.
Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme, in 10.16sec, beat American Kyree King and Italy’s Chituru Ali in a photofinish for victory in the 100m into a headwind.
P.Mathewson--AMWN