SA quartet led by Mulaudzi

Johannesburg - The majority of the South African quartet that kicked off their international outdoor season will have been satisfied with their performances at the inaugural Diamond League track and field meeting in Doha on Friday night.

World 800m champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi probably produced the best performance of the four, although he missed out on a podium place in a fast men’s two-lap race.

Kenyan David Rudisha, 21, won in 1:43.00, with the veteran South African setting a season’s best of 1:43.78 in fourth place.

In contrast, Commonwealth champion LJ van Zyl did make the podium, but won’t be tremendously pleased with his time.

The South African finished third behind Americans Bershawn Jackson and world champion Kerron Clement but was well behind, clocking 49.59 seconds to finish almost a full second behind Jackson, who won in 48.66.

Ruben Ramolefi did well to improve his season’s best by nine seconds in the men‘s 3 000m steeplechase, and was less than five seconds off his national record, but had to settle for ninth place in 8:16.50.

Kenyan world champion Ezekiel Kemboi won in 8:06.28.

And national triple jump champion Tumelo Thagane took a hard knock in his first international outdoor meeting, placing seventh with a best leap of 16.44m.

The South African was more than a metre behind winner Alexis Copelle of Cuba (17.47m) and 63cm off the personal best he set in Durban in March.