India’s Vikas Gowda won the discus bronze in the second leg of the prestigious IAAF Diamond League series here on Sunday. The 31-year-old hurled the disc to a distance of 63.90m in his fifth and penultimate attempt to finish third behind 2013 World Championships silver medallist Piotr Malachowski (64.65m) of Poland and Robert Urbanek (64.47m), also of Poland.
National record holder Gowda, the 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Asian Games silver medal winner, will pocket $4,000 for the third-place finish, besides earning one Diamond League point.
The US-based Indian has had a season’s best of 65.75m, which he achieved at La Jolla, USA, last month, while his national record stands at 66.28m. He is yet to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, for which the qualifying standard is 66m.
Last year, Gowda had finished fourth overall in the Diamond League Series by collecting two points by finishing second in Doha.
Defending world champion David Oliver won the men’s 110m hurdles, but it was recently retired Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang who got the biggest ovation of the night. World record holder Aries Merritt of the United States was third.
The results: Men: Long jump: 1. Aleksandr Menkov (Rus) 8.27m, 2. Jeff Henderson (USA) 8.26, 3. Wang Jianan (Chn) 8.25. Discus: 1. Piotr Malachowski (Pol) 64.65m, 2. Robert Urbanek (Pol) 64.47, 3. Vikas Gowda (Ind) 63.90. High-jump: 1. Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qat) 2.38m, 2. Bohdan Bondarenko (Ukr) 2.32, 3. Zhang Guowei (Chn) 2.32. 400m: 1. Kirani James (G rn) 44.66, 2. Tony McQuay (USA) 45.54, 3. LaShawn Merritt (USA) 45.58. 200m: 1. Alonso Edward (Pan) 20.33, 2. Julian Forte (Jam) 20.36, 3. Nickel Ashmeade (Jam) 20.44. 1,500m: 1. Silas Kiplagat (Ken) 3:35.29, 2. Hillary Cheruiyot Ngetich (Ken) 3:35.40, 3. Collins Cheboi (Ken) 3:35.46.
3,000m steeplechase: 1. Jairus Kipchoge Birech (Ken) 8:05.36, 2. Paul Kipsiele Koech (Ken) 8:11.39, 3. Conseslus Kipruto (Ken) 8:14.59. 110m hurdles: 1. David Oliver (USA) 13.17, 2. Orlando Ortega (Cub) 13.19, 3. Aries Merritt (USA) 13.25.
Women: Shot-put: 1. Gong Lijiao (Chn) 20.23m 2. Christina Schwanitz (Ger) 19.94, 3. Tia Brooks (USA) 18.66. Triple-jump: 1. Caterine Ibarguen (C ol) 14.85m, 2. Olha Saladukha (Ukr) 14.62, 3. Olga Rypakova (Kaz) 14.38. Javelin: 1. Lu Huihui (Chn) 64.08m, 2. Sunette Viljoen (RSA) 63.60, 3. Kimberley Mickle (Aus) 63.60. Pole-vault : 1. Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou (Gre) 4.73m, 2. Katerina Stefanidi (Gre) 4.58, 3. Yarisley Silva (Cub) 4.58. 400m hurdles: 1. Kaliese Spencer (J am) 54.71, 2. Tiffany Williams (USA) 55.27, 3. Cassandra Tate (USA) 55.68. 800m : 1. Eunice Jepkoech Sum (Ken) 2:00.28, 2. Milika Akkaoui (Mar) 2:00.73, 3. Janeth Jepkosgei (Ken) 2:01.14. 100m: 1. Blessing Okagbare (Ngr) 10.98, 2. Tori Bowie (USA) 11.07, 3. Michelle-Lee Ahye (Tto) 11.13. 5,000m: 1. Almaz Ayana (E th) 14:14.32, 2. Viola Jelagat Kibiwot (Ken) 14:40.32, 3. Senbere Teferi (Eth) 14:41.98. — Agencies
