Bershawn Jackson (C) competes in the men's 400-meter hurdles semifinal at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Track and Field at Hayward Field on July 8, 2016 in Eugene, Ore.
Last month, Bershawn Jackson announced his retirement from track and field following the 2017 season. He kicked off his final IAAF Diamond League season with a bang, setting a new meet record in the 400-meter hurdles in Shanghai.
Jackson crossed the finish line in 48.63, beating the old mark of 48.77 set by Michael Tinsley in 2014. LJ Van Zyl of South Africa finished second in 49.35 and Rasmus Magi of Estonia placed third in 49.38. Kerron Clemont finished fourth in 49.43.
Jackson, the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, opened his season with a second-place finish at the Drake Relays in April.
"This will be my last year in sports," Jackson told the IAAF. "I just want to go out with a bang and it started well with the victory today."
Sam Kendricks also took home the win in Shanghai, beating out a tough pole vault field. In what turned out to be a neck-and-neck battle with two-time Olympic medalist Renaud Lavillenie of France, Kendricks cleared 5.88 on his second attempt to earn the victory. Lavillenie cleared 5.83 for second place and Canada's Shawn Barber took third with 5.60. Kendricks won bronze in his Olympic debut in Rio in 2016 behind Lavillenie's silver.
In the men's 200-meter, Noah Lyles took the top spot, tying the world-leading time in the process. His blistering 19.90 was more than good enough to outdistance the field, including LaShawn Merritt's 20.27 second-place and Great Britain's Adam Gemili's third in 20.35. Ameer Webb placed fourth in 20.39. Lyles, still just 19 years old, placed fourth at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials to narrowly miss making his first Olympic team, but won gold at the Youth Olympic Games Nanjing 2014.
Tori Bowie finished second in the women's 100 behind reigning Olympic champion Elaine Thompson of Jamaica. Thompson ran a world-leading 10.78, while Bowie finished just behind in 11.04. Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast finished third in 11.07. Bowie made her Olympic debut in Rio and won three medals, including silver in the 100 behind Thompson's gold.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Natasha Hastings took second place in the women's 400. Her time of 50.74 couldn't beat Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas, who clocked a world-leading 49.77. Ukraine's Olha Zemlyak rounded out the top three in 50.89.
Daniella Bunch finished second in the women's shot put with her throw of 18.98. 2012 Olympic silver medalist Gong Lijiao of China won the event with 19.46, and Anita Marton of Hungary placed third with 18.69. Brittany Smith finished fifth with 17.95.
Defending Diamond League champion Erik Kynard placed fourth in the high jump with his 2.24 mark. In the women's 1,500-meter, Katie Mackey finished eighth with a season's-best time of 4:07.15. Jeff Henderson led the U.S. finishers in the men's long jump with his sixth-place jump of 8.03. Casimir Loxom placed 10th in the men's 800, running 1:49.44. Aries Merritt led the U.S. contingent in the men's 110-meter hurdles, finishing sixth in 13.36.
