Bershawn Jackson sets 400m hurdles Diamond League meet record

Jackson clocked a timing of 48.09 seconds to win the 400m hurdles

Doha, May 16 (IANS): American Bershawn Jackson clocked a world-leading 48.09 seconds to win the men's 400 metres hurdles race with a new meet record at the Diamond League here.

The 2005 World Champion and 2010 winner here has been experiencing a flying start so far this season, remaining unbeaten in each of his five outings, most recently with a 48.47-second run in Kingston last weekend, reports Xinhua.

Javier Culson of Puerto Rico, 2012 and 2013 Diamond League winner, finished a distant second in 48.96 while Irishman Thomas Barr finished third in 48.99 on Friday.

Jackson's, 32, winning mark beat the 48.11 meet record set by Lj Van Zyl of South Africa in 2011, and Zyl only managed a lacklustre 49.52 to finish sixth.

"What was important for me was to have a great race and not the time. But I am glad I broke the meet record," said Jackson, whose career best is 47.3, achieved in 2005 when claiming the title at the World Championships in Helsinki.

"People doubted me last year but it was the injury problems that pulled me back. I proved that I can still run fast. I have been in the circuit for many years, but do not forget that I started competing when I was 19 and I still have a lot to give."

Another veteran in the field, two-time World and Olympic champion Felix Sanchez of Dominica Republic, was below-par as the 37-year-old clocked a disappointing 50.93 to finish at the bottom.