Ronnie Baker shines in Rome as Christian Coleman disappoints

Rome, June 1: Ronnie Baker clocked the fastest 100 metre time of the year in Thursday's Diamond League meeting in Rome, as Christian Coleman disappointed.

In what was expected to be a closely fought duel, Baker trailed Olympic silver medallist Coleman after 60m but pulled clear to come home in 9.93seconds, while his rival failed to match the pace and ended fourth.

Jimmy Vicaut finished second, with Filippo Tortu delighting the home crowd by coming third.

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Sandra Perkovic threw 68.93 metres, a meeting record, in the women's discus to win a 40th Diamond League event.

And to round us off it's very close in the men's 100m #RoadToTheFinal after @ronnie_baker14 took a superb victory tonight@ronnie_baker14 🇺🇸 8 points@rprescod1 🇬🇧 8 points
Bingtian Su 🇨🇳 7 points#RomeDL #DiamondLeague pic.twitter.com/yO9Deb9zEq

— IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) May 31, 2018

"I've had some injury problems this year so it was important for me to still win and it feels like home in Rome - Italy and Croatia share a border and I love the food here," Perkovic said.

Abderrahaman Samba set a Diamond League record to win the men's 400m hurdles, and Hyvin Kiyeng clocked a world-leading time to celebrate victory in the women's steeplechase ahead of fellow Kenyan Celliphine Chespol.

Fred Kerley of the United States was the victor in the men's 400m, while Luvo Manyonga edged Juan Miguel Echevarria by just five centimetres in the long jump – his 8.58m a world-leading effort.

Source: OPTA