On an evening when China’s athletics icon, the former world and Olympic high hurdles champion Liu Xiang, made an emotional farewell to his home crowd in an official retirement ceremony, Barshim and Bondarenko set about producing a field event contest as compelling as that in the triple jump at Friday’s (May 15) opening Diamond League meeting in Doha, where both Pedro Pablo Pichardo of Cuba and US Olympic champion Christian Taylor produced efforts over 18.00m.

Bondarenko, the world champion, arrived at the 2.38 height in the lead, having made two first-time clearances at 2.25 and 2.32, whereas Barshim had recorded one failure.

But while the Qatari cleared it first time, his Ukraine rival failed twice before gambling his last effort, unsuccessfully, on a 2.41 jump.

Thus Bondarenko had to settle for second place in 2.32, the same height as third-placed Guowei Zhang of China.

The 110m hurdles event was the last of the evening, and Liu looked on as the current world champion, David Oliver, earned victory in 13.17sec ahead of Cuba’s Orlando Ortega, who clocked 13.19, and fellow American Aries Merritt, with the world record holder timed at 13.25.

But the most commanding victory of the night came in the women’s 5,000m, where 23-year-old Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia finished 26 seconds clear of her nearest challenger, Kenya’s Viola Kibiwot, in 14min 14.32sec - the third fastest time ever run. 

It was a personal best, a meeting record, an Asian all-comers’ record and an IAAF Diamond League record. Only world record-holder Tirunesh Dibaba (14:11.15) and Meseret Defar (14:12.88) have ever gone faster. 

The women’s triple jump featured a rivalry as keen as the men’s event two days earlier, with Colombia’s world champion Caterine Ibargüen taking maximum points with an effort of 14.85m in defence of her Diamond Trophy ahead of the Ukraine’s Olha Saladuha, her predecessor as world champion, second in 14.62.

It was Ibargüen's 23rd consecutive win.

The home crowd responded enthusiastically to two victories in the women’s throwing events, with Lu Huihui’s meeting record of 64.08m in the javelin being a big surprise.

Four-time African champion Sunette Viljoen of South Africa was second with 63.60 ahead of Australia’s Commonwealth champion Kimberley Mickle on the same distance.

In the absence of New Zealand's world and Olympic champion shot putter Valerie Adams, who is recovering from surgery to her elbow and shoulder, Lijiao Gong took full advantage with an effort of 20.23, which leads the early season world list.

Germany’s Christina Schwanitz was second with 19.94.

The win earned in the women’s 400m hurdles by Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica, whose time of 54.71sec also headed this year’s world lists.

Tiffany Williams of the US was her closest challenger in 55.27.

Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria won the women’s 100m in 10.98sec, with Jamaica’s multiple world and Olympic champions Veronica Campbell-Brown and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce respectively fourth and fifth in 11.22 and 11.25.

Grenada’s world and Olympic champion Kirani James held off his two main US rivals, LaShawn Merritt and Tony McQuay, to take the men’s 400m in 44.66sec.

McQuay was second in 45.54, with Merritt clocking 45.58.

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