Athletics: Christine Ohuruogu finishes an excellent third in Doha 400 metres
Christine Ohuruogu made a pleasing start to the Diamond League season with a third place in the 400 metres in Doha.
Last Updated: 10/05/13 11:18pm
Ohuruogu chased home Amantle Montsho and Allyson Felix in a creditable time of 50.53 seconds to pick up a point at the season-opening meeting and show that her winter of speed training had worked well.
The 28-year-old recorded a time of 50.58 in Jamaica last weekend as well and will hope to continue her form through to her main 2013 target, the World Championships in Moscow in August.
Ohuruogu came from the relative wilderness last summer, inspired by having the Olympics at home in London as she stormed to an unexpected silver medal behind Sanya Richards Ross.
Olympic high jump bronze medalist and European champion Robbie Grabarz failed to get his outdoor season off to a flyer as his best jump of 2.24 metres was only good enough for fourth behind Ukrainian Bohdan Bondarenko (2.33m).
There were a total of 11 season's bests put up, one of which came from Kenya's David Rudisha in the 800 metres - his finishing time was 1:43.87 in a race that saw Britain's Michael Rimmer run sub 1:45 in fifth place.
Tiffany Porter ran a season's best of 12.74 seconds in the women's 100m hurdles to finish fourth, which was won by American Dawn Harper-Nelson in a time of 12.60.
However, it was not a successful night for other British athletes, with Jack Green unable to finish in the 400m hurdles and Shara Proctor finishing sixth in the women's long jump with 6.82m.
And Justin Gatlin opened the 100 metres season with victory, his time of 9.97 seconds enough to see off the challenge of fellow American Michael Rodgers and Jamaica's Nesta Carter.