Visser shines in Zurich

Johannesburg - The country's top long jumpers stood out on an impressive night for the SA contingent competing at the Diamond League event in Zurich, Switzerland, on Thursday evening.

Zarck Visser, who was eliminated in the qualifying round at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow two weeks ago, produced the surprise of the meeting with a personal best leap of 8.32m to lead a South African one-two in the men's long jump.

Visser took the early lead and went beyond eight metres with his first three attempts, and while he did not produce a legal jump in the second half of the competition, he had done enough to comfortably beat countryman Khotso Mokoena.

Former Olympic silver medallist Mokoena was second with a leap of 8.11m, and Mexican Luis Rivera-Morales, the world student champion, was third with a best of 8.09m.

After a flawless start to the meeting, Johan Cronje continued the impressive SA showing when he closed down the lead pack after a cautious start to finish eighth in the men's 1 500m in 3:34.06, with Kenyan Silas Kiplagat securing a comfortable victory in 3:30.97.

Cronje was a little more than half a second outside the national record he set in Doha in May.

Sunette Viljoen launched a 62.01m attempt to settle in third place after the first round in the women's javelin throw.

And though Viljoen improved to 62.76m in the third round, Christina Obergfoll of Germany moved ahead with a 63.36m throw as the South African record holder settled for fourth place.

Russian Mariya Abakumova won with a best effort of 68.94m.

Competing in her first Diamond League meeting of the season, Caster Semenya was left lagging from the start and crossed the line in 2:01.83, for seventh place, after a sluggish race in the women's 800m.

Eunice Sum of Kenya clocked 1:58.82 to edge Olympic champion Mariya Savinova of Russia for victory.

Results from the Meeting Zurich Men/Women on Thursday

Men:

800m:
1. Nick Symmonds (U.S.) 1:43.56
2. Marcin Lewandowski (Poland) 1:43.79
3. Ferguson Rotich (Kenya) 1:44.39
4. Duane Solomon (U.S.) 1:44.49
5. Timothy Kitum (Kenya) 1:44.87
6. Michael Rimmer (Britain) 1:45.34
7. Andrew Osagie (Britain) 1:45.80
8. Job Koech Kinyor (Kenya) 1:46.86

1500m:
1. Silas Kiplagat (Kenya) 3:30.97
2. Ayanleh Souleiman (Djibouti) 3:31.64
3. Nixon Kiplimo Chepseba (Kenya) 3:33.15
4. Caleb Mwangangi Ndiku (Kenya) 3:33.41
5. Mekonnen Gebremedhin (Ethiopia) 3:33.64
6. Asbel Kiprop (Kenya) 3:33.78
7. Henrik Ingebrigtsen (Norway) 3:33.95
8. Johan Cronje (South Africa) 3:34.06

110m Hurdles:
1. David Oliver (U.S.) 13.12
2. Ryan Wilson (U.S.) 13.24
3. Jason Richardson (U.S.) 13.26
4. Sergey Shubenkov (Russia) 13.27
5. Artur Noga (Poland) 13.29
6. Aries Merritt (U.S.) 13.34
7. Dayron Robles (Cuba) 13.37
8. William Sharman (Britain) 13.42

Long Jump:
1. Zarck Visser (South Africa) 8.32
2. Godfrey Khotso Mokoena (South Africa) 8.11
 3. Luis Rivera (Mexico) 8.09
4. Christopher Tomlinson (Britain) 7.96
5. Ignisious Gaisah (Netherlands) 7.96
6. Aleksandr Menkov (Russia) 7.94
7. Eusebio Caceres (Spain) 7.59
8. Dwight Phillips (U.S.) 7.53

Discus Throw:
1. Gerd Kanter (Estonia) 67.02
2. Robert Harting (Germany) 66.83
3. Ehsan Hadadi (Iran) 66.07
4. Martin Wierig (Germany) 65.61
5. Erik Cadee (Netherlands) 63.81
6. Robert Urbanek (Poland) 63.78
7. Piotr Malachowski (Poland) 63.70
8. Victor Butenko (Russia) 63.58

Women:

200m:
1. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) 22.40
2. Murielle Ahoure (Cote D'Ivoire) 22.66
3. Mariya Ryemyen (Ukraine) 22.67
4. Charonda Williams (U.S.) 22.84
5. Ivet Lalova (Bulgaria) 23.22
6. Mujinga Kambundji (Switzerland) 23.38
. Tiffany Townsend (U.S.) DSQ

Women's 5000m:
1. Meseret Defar (Ethiopia) 14:32.83
2. Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) 14:34.82
3. Mercy Cherono (Kenya) 14:40.33
4. Emily Muge (Kenya) 14:46.89
5. Gladys Cherono (Kenya) 14:47.12
6. Viola Jelagat Kibiwot (Kenya) 14:52.54
7. Jennifer Simpson (U.S.) 14:56.26
8. Buze Diriba (Ethiopia) 14:56.34

Women's 400m Hurdles:
1. Zuzana Hejnova (Czech Republic) 53.32
2. Kaliese Spencer (Jamaica) 54.22
3. Denisa Rosolova (Czech Republic) 54.99
4. Hanna Titimets (Ukraine) 55.05
5. Hanna Yaroshchuk (Ukraine) 55.17
6. Natalya Antyukh (Russia) 55.92
7. Meghan Beesley (Britain) 55.96
8. Dalilah Muhammad (U.S.) 56.15

800m:
1. Eunice Jepkoech Sum (Kenya) 1:58.82
2. Mariya Savinova (Russia) 1:58.93
3. Malika Akkaoui (Morocco) 1:59.34
4. Alysia Johnson Montano (United States) 2:00.25
5. Ajee Wilson (United States) 2:00.35
6. Nataliya Lupu (Ukraine) 2:01.09
7. Caster Semenya (South Africa) 2:01.83

4 x 100m Relay:
1. United States 41.67
2. Jamaica 41.78
3. Ukraine 42.71
4. Germany 43.19
5. Switzerland 43.21
6. Britain 43.78
7. Italy 44.71
8. Netherlands 45.95

Long Jump:
1. Shara Proctor (Britain) 6.88
2. Blessing Okagbare (Nigeria) 6.76
3. Ivana Spanovic (Serbia) 6.73
4. Sostene Moguenara (Germany) 6.68
5. Olga Kucherenko (Russia) 6.64
6. Elena Sokolova (Russia) 6.43
7. Brittney Reese (U.S.) 6.37
8. Darya Klishina (Russia) 6.34

Pole Vault:
1. Silke Spiegelburg (Germany) 4.79
2. Fabiana Murer (Brazil) 4.72
3. Yarisley Silva (Cuba) 4.72
4. Jirina Svobodova (Czech Republic)
4.62 5. Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou (Greece) 4.52 s

Javelin Throw:
1. Maria Abakumova (Russia) 68.94
2. Christina Obergfoell (Germany) 63.36
3. Linda Stahl (Germany) 63.24
4. Sunette Viljoen (South Africa) 62.76
5. Kathryn Mitchell (Australia) 62.66
6. Sofi Flinck (Sweden) 59.84
7. Kathrina Molitor (Germany) 57.48
8. Lina Muze (Latvia) 57.04