Chijindu Ujah (coach: Jonas Dodoo) took the first Diamond League victory of his young career in the Stadio Olympico in Rome on Thursday night, winning the blue ribband men’s 100m.

Taking on a world class field the in-form sprinter, third in Eugene two weeks ago, finished strongest to take the win in 10.03 (-0.2m/s) to get the better of Jimmy Vicaut and Ronnie Baker. That time, a season’s best, is the third fastest of his career.

Post-race the Olympian said:

“It was a good race. I knew I had to focus on my race and my focus was to be free and to run free and that is what I did. Baker was the favourite in the race but I knew it was going to be a close race. London [2017] is the main aim for me; I hope I can do something special then.”

Andy Pozzi (Benke Blomkvist) made a flying start in the men’s 110mH but was just edged out over the final couple of flights of hurdles eventually finishing fourth, a tenth behind winner Aries Merritt. Pozzi’s time of 13.24 (-0.3) was just 0.05 down on his personal best.

Eilidh Doyle (Malcolm Arnold) was the first Brit in action on the night, and she ran an aggressive race before fading in the home straight to finish ninth, however her 55.86 time was a season’s best. In the women’s 100m Desiree Henry (Rana Reider) was sixth in a race won by her training partner and World champion Dafne Schippers. Schippers stopped the clock at 10.99 (0.5), with Henry crossing the line in 11.32.

In the field Morgan Lake (Aston Moore) finished an impressive fourth in the women’s high jump courtesy of a third time clearance at a season’s best equalling 1.91m. After a first time clearance at 4.40m Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson) made two attempts at 4.55m before retiring from the women’s pole vault competition, eventually finishing tied for seventh.

Back on the track in the final event of the night, both Steph Twell (Mick Woods) and Eilish McColgan (Liz McColgan-Nuttall) lined up in a 5,000m that was being paced for a new world record. In the end that didn’t materialise, but it was still one of the fastest 5,000m of all-time, with Hellen Obiri taking victory in a Kenyan record of 14.18.37. Running in the chase group Twell posted a season’s best of 15.24.05 in sixteenth, however McColgan failed to finish.