London 2012 bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz started his outdoor season in fine style with second place in the high jump at the opening Diamond League of 2017.
The 29-year-old cleared 2.31m as Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim set a world lead to win the event with 2.36m, while Donald Thomas took third for the Bahamas after jumping 2.29m.
Grabarz’s fellow Brit Chris Baker finished seventh in the event after his season’s best of 2.26m, while the night in Doha was dominated by Thomas Rohler as he moved second on the all time list of javelin throwers with a mark of 93.90m – only the Czech Republic’s Jan Zelezny has ever thrown further.
Elsewhere on the night Desiree Henry stopped the clock at 22.69s for the 200m, as the 21-year-old finished seventh.
There was another seventh place on the track as Cindy Ofili ran 13.42s for the 100m hurdles, while Andrew Butchart was eighth in the 3,000m following a season’s best time of 7:45.36.
And in the women’s pole vault Holly Bradshaw returned to the international scene after missing the indoor season with an injury.
The 25-year-old former European indoor champion vaulted to a best of 4.55m, with Katerina Stefanidi taking the win after clearing 4.80m.
Sportsbeat 2017