EUGENE, Oregon — Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim posted the best outdoor high jump since 2000 Saturday with a winning leap of 2.40m at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting. The 2012 Olympic bronze medalist is now tied with four other athletes as the fourth-best performers all-time outdoors in the discipline and his clearance was the highest indoors or out since the 2.40 of Russian Ivan Ukhov indoors in February of 2009. He improved on the Asian continental record of 2.39 that he shared with China's Zhu Jianhua, Zhu setting the mark in 1984 and Barshim matching it in Lausanne in 2012. Olympic gold medalist Renaud Lavillenie was also impressive, winning the men's pole vault in a season-leading 5.95m. The Frenchman finished ahead of Germans Bjorn Otto (5.90) and Raphael Holzdeppe (5.84). Tirunesh Dibaba won the women's 5,000 in a world-leading 14min 42.01sec, Francine Miyonsaba of Burundi clocked a season's best of 1:57.72 in winning the 800m and the women's triple jump saw winner Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia with a leap of 14.93 and Ukraine's Olga Saladukha with a runner-up clearance of 14.85 both improve on the previous best this year. Czech Zuzana Hejnova, bronze medalist in London, notched the world's fastest 400m hurdles time of 2013 with a victory in 53.70sec — a comfortable 1.05sec faster than runner-up Georganne Moline of the United States. Jamaica's Kaliese Spencer was third. Reigning world champion Lashinda Demus was fifth while 2012 Olympic gold medalist Natalya Antyukh of Russia was last. Season's bests on the men's side also included German Robert Hartwig's winning discus throw of 69.75m, Kenyan Silas Kiplagat's mile triumph in 3:49.48 and Kenyan Edwin Soi's victory in the 5,000m in 13:04.75. Soi finished ahead of Britain's double Olympic champion Mo Farah, who settled for second in 13:05.88. The men's 400m didn't produce a season-leading time, but it offered another glimpse of the exciting rivalry between US veteran LaShawn Merritt and Kirani James. Merritt's 44.32sec was enough to hold off James at the wire, the Grenadian finishing second in 44.39. American Justin Gatlin remained unbeaten in the 100m this year, triumphing in a wind-aided 9.88sec. Gatlin edged compatriot Michael Rodgers (9.94), with American Ryan Bailey third in 10.00 to squeeze Jamaican Nesta Carter off the podium. Jamaica's two-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won the women's 100m in a wind-aided 10.71sec. Nigeria's Blessing Akagbare was second in 10.75 and Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown third in 10.78. Olympic champion Sanya Richards-Ross finished last in the 400m — her first race since her Olympic triumph in London. World champion Amantle Montsho of Botswana followed up her New York victory a week ago with another triumph. She won in 50.01sec, ahead of American Francena McCorory (50.37) and Jamaica's Novlene Williams (51.14). — Reuters
