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Italy's Diaz dominates triple jump for opening world indoor gold / Photo: © AFP
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Italy's Diaz dominates triple jump for opening world indoor gold
Italy's Andy Diaz Hernandez claimed the opening gold of the world indoor athletics championships in Nanjing on Friday, bounding out to a dominant 17.80 metres in the men's triple jump.
The Cuban-born athlete, who won Olympic bronze at last year's Paris Games, laid it all on the line in his very first jump in Nanjing's Cube, the new world lead moving him to 23rd on the all-time list.
In the absence of Olympic gold and silver medallists Jordan Alejandro Diaz Fortun of Spain and Portugal's Pedro Pichardo, Diaz Hernandez had come to China in good form.
He hopped, skipped and jumped his way to 17.71m to win European indoor gold in Apeldoorn earlier this month.
China's Zhu Yaming delighted the home crowd by claiming silver with a best of 17.33m, with Brazil's Almir dos Santos taking bronze (17.22m).
Defending champion Hugues Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso, who is also the world outdoor champion, could only finish fourth with 17.15m.
Three-time Olympic medallist Will Claye of the US misfired, along with Cuba's 2022 world indoor champion Lazaro Martinez, both missing the final shoot-out in the sandpit.
Christopher Bailey led the way in qualifiers for the men's 400m with a lead time of 45.70sec, along with US teammates Jacory Patterson and Brian Faust.
Brazilian Matheus Lima and Canada's Christopher Morales-Williams also sailed through to the semi-finals in Friday's evening session, with the final scheduled for 1255 GMT on Saturday.
American hope Josh Hoey, the second fastest runner ever over 800m indoors, safely negotiated his heat to qualify for Saturday's semi-final.
"It was a very smooth race. I executed as what I've planned, just to run as smooth and easy as possible, no specific time target," said Hoey, whose world-leading 1:43.24 in New York last month placed him just half a second off Wilson Kipketer's world record set in Paris back in 1997.
"I've been training with a new coach, which has been very beneficial to me. We've done more speed endurance, 800 specific-type work, that has helped me with my results," said Hoey.
Finals to come later Friday include the men's high jump and the women's shot put, while the women's pentathlon also comes to a climax.
J.L. de Oliveira--JDB
