CHINA’S Gao Xinglong leaped to victory of the men’s long jump at Shanghai Diamond League on Saturday while Justin Gatlin raced to a winning start of his Diamond season.

    The men’s long jump was one of the highlights as the 22-year-old Gao secured the host’s only title at this meeting in his second attempt with 8.14 meters while South African Rushwal Samaai grabbed silver and Australian Fabrice Lapierre was third.

    “I have been suffering from a foot injury so I am satisfied with the result,” said Gao. “I looked at this meeting as a training session.”

    American sprinter Gatlin’s preparations for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics got off to a solid start with a commanding win in the 100 meters.

    Olympic 800 champion David Rudisha of Kenya faded on the final straight and finished fifth after a poor start he blamed on field competitors crowding the track.

    Gatlin easily won the 100 in 9.94 seconds, several strides ahead of Qatar’s Femi Ogunode in second and Michael Rodgers of the United States in third. His main rival in Rio, Olympic and world champion Usain Bolt, did not compete in Shanghai.

    “I was just looking to execute each phase of my race,” Gatlin said. “Working on my start, working on my transition, just have a good finish.”

    Rudisha, meanwhile, was leading on the final curve in the 800 before being passed by countryman Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich, who won the race in 1 minute, 45.68 seconds. Rudisha finished in 1:46.24, well off his world record of 1:40.91.

    Afterward, he blamed the result on confusion over the javelin throwers and high jumpers who were still on the track as the race was starting.

    “We tried to raise our hands up, but the gun went off,” he said. “I lost almost two seconds of my time. ... It’s unfortunate. The technical guys — I don’t know what they’re doing there.”

    Rudisha expressed relief, however, over a ruling by the IAAF on Friday that cleared Kenya’s track athletes to compete at the Rio Olympics despite a suspension of the country’s anti-doping body by the World Anti-Doping Agency over flawed legislation in Kenya.

    (SD-Agencies)