DOHA, Qatar: Triple world champion Allyson Felix edged out a hard-charging Amantle Montsho to win the 400 meters in 50.33 seconds at the season-opening Diamond League meet in Doha Friday. Felix crossed the finish line first despite being made to work down the stretch by the Botswana runner, who finished .08 seconds behind. Patricia Hall of Jamaica was third. It was the 10th win for the American on Qatar soil, including the world indoor gold last year as part of the United States 4x400m relay team. “It was decent,” said Felix, who won the Diamond League title last year in the 200 and 400 and is considering running both events at the worlds in August. American and Olympic bronze medalist Walter Dix got his season going with a win in the 200m, easily beating surprise second place finisher Femi Ogunode of Qatar in a time of 20.06 seconds. Dix's time was the fastest this year and set a meet record. Earlier, Louis Van Zyl of South Africa won the 400-meter hurdles in 48.11 seconds, beating compatriot Cornel Fredericks by .32 seconds with last year's winner, American Bershawn Jackson, coming in third. Jackson, a world champion in 2005, shrugged off the results saying it was only his second race of the season. He added that he is still aiming for gold at the worlds and eventually breaking the 47 second mark. In the shot put, last year's winner Christian Cantwell of the US finished a disappointing fifth behind winner Dylan Armstrong of Canada who won with an effort of 21.38 meters (70.14 feet). Two other Americans — Reese Hoffa and Ryan Whiting — finished second and third. Cantwell won his third indoor title in Doha last year with a throw of 21.82 meters (71.59 feet) and only lost twice in the 2010 outdoor season. In the 100-meter hurdles, last year's winner American Lolo Jones came in third behind winner Kellie Wells and Danielle Carruthers, both of the United States. Wells won the race in 12.58, .11 seconds faster than Jones and the fasted time this year in the event. Teddy Tamgho of France wasn't at his best but he still easily won the men's triple jump. He landed a jump of 17.49m to easily beat second-place finisher Leevan Sands of the Bahamas by .40 meters. Kenya's 1,500m Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop showed his versatility by storming to victory in the 800m in 1:44.74, ahead of Briton Michael Rimmer and compatriot Alfred Yego, the 2007 world champion. Ethiopian Yenew Alamirew became the ninth fastest athlete over 3,000m (7:27.26), sprinting home ahead of vaunted Kenyan duo Edwin Soi and Eliud Kipchoge. With the Kingston International Invitational meet scheduled for Saturday, the leading US and Jamaican sprinters opted to compete there, and organizers here eventually decided late on to scrap the men's 100m. In field events, Estonia's world and Olympic champion Gerd Kanter left it late in the men's discus, managing a best of 67.49m on his final attempt to trump 39-year-old Lithuanian rival Virgilijus Alekna. American Funmi Jimoh wrapped up the women's long jump with a world lead of 6.88m, ahead of Brazilian Olympic champion Maurren Maggi.
