Shanghai Diamond League: Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson blazes to year`s fastest 100

Courtesy: Twitter (@olympicchannel)

Shanghai: Double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson set the fastest time in the world this year when she won the women`s 100 metres at the Shanghai Diamond League meeting on Saturday.

The Jamaican left the rest of a quality field in her wake to finish in a time of 10.78 seconds, almost three tenths of a second clear of American Tori Bowie with Marie-Josee Ta Lou of Ivory Coast in third.

OC @FastElaine looks rampant early season and thunders away to a dominant win in a WL'ing 10.78 over 100m (-0.3) in Shanghai pic.twitter.com/jGGsDJzeaW

— Costas Goulas (@lsabre) May 13, 2017

"I was happy with my preparation and the way I executed the race today," said Thompson, the 100 and 200 metres gold medallist at last year`s Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

"I made a great start and I was able to bring it home. I am pleased with the time."

Omar McLeod saw off a stellar field to win the 110 metres hurdles in 13.09 seconds, with the Olympic champion finishing ahead of Orlando Ortega, while Noah Lyles equalled the fastest time in the world this year in the 200 metres as the 19-year-old stopped the clock in 19.90.

Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo from Jamaica set the fastest time of 2017 in the women`s 400 metres when she demolished the opposition to cross in 49.77, finishing almost a second ahead of second-placed Natasha Hastings.

World record holder and double Olympic and world champion David Rudisha finished fourth in his first race since September as Kipyegon Bett, last year`s world junior champion, won the men`s 800 metres in 1 minute 44.70.

"I`ve had a different build up with not running in Australia this year and it was my first race of the season," said Rudisha. "I ran a 1:45, which shows me where I`m at and it is something to build on. I hope to put some things in place to improve for my next race."

South Africa`s Luvo Manyunga claimed the men`s long jump with a Diamond League record leap of 8.61 metres while Hellen Obiri recorded the quickest time in 2017 for the women`s 5000 metres when she blew the field away to finish in 14 minutes 22.47.

Kenya`s Faith Kipyegon won the women`s 1500m in 3 minutes 59.22, the fastest so far this season, to finish more than a second clear of Ethiopian Dawut Seyaum in a commanding early season display.

Bershawn Jackson claimed the men`s 400 metres hurdles in a time of 48.63, a new meeting record, to leave a strong field including double Olympic gold medallist Kerron Clement and world champion Nicholas Bett trailing.