Duplantis clears 5.90 to win men's pole vault at Ostrava Golden Spike meet

Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis showed once again he is the man to beat in the pole vault with a straightforward victory at the Ostrava Golden Spike, a World Athletics Continental Tour meet in the Czech Republic.

The Swede cleared 5.90m on his first try, and although he missed at both 5.95 and 6m, saw off the challenge from American rival Sam Kendricks fairly easily.

Kendricks made four heights before failing his first attempt at 5.85m. He later cleared that on his second try, but failed at 5.90 and 5.95.

France's Valentin Lavillenie, younger brother of former world record holder Renaud, was third but some distance back at 5.60m.

There was a surprise in the men's 100m as Athens 2004 champion Justin Gatlin was pipped to the line by fellow American Fred Kerley.

Kerley was quickest out of the blocks and breezed home in 9.96 seconds, with Gatlin trailing 0.12 seconds behind him. Canada's Andre De Grasse was third.

There was no corresponding women's race, although USA's Sha'Carri Richardson starred in the 200m.

She crossed the line in 22.35 seconds ahead of a strong field that included Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare, who was second, and Netherlands' Dafne Schippers in fourth.

London 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James took the men's 400m in a season's best 44.74 as he looks to find form ahead of Tokyo 2020.

Meanwhile, 5000m and 10000m world record holder Joshua Cheptegei – who was targeting a 3000m world record in Ostrava – shone with a world lead 7:33.24.

Although the Ugandan missed the world record, he was some eight seconds clear of USA's Paul Chelimo, and will go into Tokyo as a heavy favourite to win multiple medals.

His countryman Jacob Kiplimo won the 10000m in Cheptegei's absence from that event, setting a new world lead 26:33.93 in the process.

Germany's Johannes Vetter, second all-time in the men's javelin, once again showed glimpses of his potential ability to break Jan Zelezny's long-standing world record.

The 28-year-old threw a stunning 94.20 world lead, the third-best effort in his career to date.

With only six throws ever recorded longer than 94.20 – four belonging to Zelezny and two to Vetter – the German looks like the hot favourite to take the Olympic title in August.