Luvo’s huge leap earns him gold in Diamond League

SHANGHAI: World champion and Olympic silver medalist Luvo Manyonga held off a stern challenge from Chinese favourite Shi Yuhao yesterday, to win the longjump competition for a second year, at the Diamond League meeting here.

Manyonga, who claimed the honours at the same meeting last year with a distance of 8.61 metres, managed to hit the sand in the long jump pit with an evening best of 8.56. Yuhao was next best with 8.43, followed by Australian Henry Frayne (8,15).

The Paarl athlete was tied with Yuhao on 8.43 going into his final jump, but managed to produce a huge leap to claim the honours.

“When Shi went out to 8.43m, I said to myself, ‘I have to think straight’,” Manyonga told the Diamond League website.

“This competition is no walk in the park. I was really pleased to respond with the 8.43m and 8.56m jumps.

“I think the long jump will be the event to watch this season and I am really happy and satisfied with what I achieved today.”

There was no luck for SA’S Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Sunette Viljoen in the javelin, with her evening best of 60.79 seeing her end sixth, well short of the 66.85 posted by Chinese favourite Lyu Huihui.

Poland’s Marcelina Witek was next best with 64.49, followed by Turkey’s Edatugsuz (63.20).

On the track, the South Africans found the going tough, with Wenda Nel narrowly missing a podium finish by ending fourth in the 400 metres hurdles in 55.63.

The win went to Dalilah Muhammad of the US (53.77), with Jamaica’s Janieve Russell (53.78) and Canada’s Sage Watson (55.23) placing second and third respectively.

In the men’s 800 metres Rynhardt van Rensburg finished eighth in 1.46.57.

The next leg of the Diamond League series will take place in Eugene in the United States on May 26. – ANA