Olympic champion Perkovic opens discus season with WL at Shanghai Diamond League

Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic opened her IAAF Diamond League season with a league record to win at Shanghai on Saturday.

The Croatian nailed the women's discus title in her fourth throw in 70.88 meters while Australian Dani Samuels finished second in 67.77.

Beijing World Championships winner Denia Caballero, who beat Perkovic in Beijing last year with more than two meters, had to settle for the bronze in 66.14. China's Su Xinyue posted a personal best of 64.45 to rank fourth.

The women's high jump saw Beijing World Championship finalist Levern Spencer of St. Lucia cleared 1.94 meters to edge Nadezhda Dusanova of Uzbekistan who jumped over the same height but with more attempts. European bronze medallist Ana Simic from Croatia was third in 1.92.

Kurt Roberts emerged the surprise winner in the men's shot put in 21.40 meters instead of his title favorite U.S. compatriots Joe Kovacs and Ryan Whiting.

World outdoor champion, Joe Kovacs, last year's Diamond Race winner walked away with a bronze in 20.82. New Zealand's recently crowned world indoor champion, Tom Walsh, took silver in 21.20. Two-time world indoor champion Whiting finished a disappointing 8th.