Mo Farah's outdoor track campaign got off to a stuttering start at the opening Diamond League meeting in Doha, Qatar. The double Olympic champion was beaten into second place in a high quality 3000m race by the Ethiopian Hagos Gebrhiwet. Elsewhere on the track and field, the controversial Justin Gatlin equalled the fourth quickest 100m time in Athletics' history and two men jumped over 18 metres for the triple jump.
Race didn't go to plan for Farah
Britain's top distance runner had been expected to challenge the European record for the distance, but was some way off that schedule as they approached the bell.
The race itself was also not going to plan at that stage neither, as he was forced to relinquish his usual position of controlling things from the front. Instead he seemed to struggle to match the last lap pace of several of the African athletes around him as they entered the final 300m. Farah did manage to drag himself back towards the front of the field in the final 150m, but by then Gebrhiwet had already made his decisive kick for home to leave his rival a few metres down in 7:38.08.
Gatlin guns down the opposition
There was explosive action in the men's 100m, where the American Gatlin set a world leading time of 9.74 seconds. Much has been made of the potential rivalry between the twice-banned 33-year-old and the star of men's sprinting Usain Bolt, but that clash will have to wait for later in the season.
Bolt may need to return to his world record form of 9.58 seconds to keep his rival at bay. In Doha, it was another American, Michael Rodgers who took second place in a time also under 10 seconds. Britain's James Dasaolu was slightly disappointing in 8th and last place with 10.14 seconds.
Triple jump record under threat
Jonathan Edwards' outstanding world triple jump record of 18.29m remains safe for now, but looks likely to be challenged in the near future.
Two men went over the 18 metre mark in a brilliant competition, as Pedro Pablo Pichardo's 18.06m leap was just enough to defeat Christian Taylor's 18.04m. Their prodigious distances were the third and fourth longest of all time.
Porter settles for bronze
Britain's Tiffany Porter had to settle for third place in the women's 100m hurdles, a race won by the American Jasmin Stowers in a sprightly 12.35 seconds.
Porter did at least have the satisfaction of beating Australia's reigning Olympic champion Sally Pearson into fourth.
British joy in the long jump
There was good news for Britain's women in the long jump event, as Shara Proctor took 2nd place and equalled the national record with a jump of 6.95m. Sadly she had to give best on the day to the American Tianna Bartoletta's 6.99m. Fourth place went to another British jumper, Lorraine Ugen setting an encouraging season's best of 6.92m.