"To be able to come and win just a few days after the World Championships is good," said Defar, who may have preferred to have raced over the distance in which she has won consecutive Olympic and world titles, 5,000m.

"I am so happy for this victory.

"I ran 14:50 at the World Championships, which is not fast for me, so I was able to run well tonight.

"I'm in good shape."

The final 800m race involving Sweden's world 1500m champion Abeba Aregawi was conclusively won by the Kenyan who won the world title at that distance in Moscow, Eunice Sum, in 1:58.84.

Russians won three of the field events through their world champions Svetlana Shkolina and Aleksandr Menkov in the high jump and long jump, respectively, and world bronze medallist Mariya Abakumova in the javelin.

Eight of the top nine high jump finalists from Moscow did battle here again - and once again Shkolina came out on top as her fellow Russians Anna Chicherova and Mariya Kuchina took second and third place.

Russia's Mariya Abakumova set a Stadium record of 68.59 metres

Shkolina had first time clearances at 1.90 metres, 1.94m and 1.98m before failing at 2.01m, but only Chicherova joined her in attempting that height, and the Olympic champion's earlier failed attempt at 1.94m saw her take second place on countback ahead of Kuchina, who had a best of 1.94m.

Abakumova threw her best effort in the second round to take the lead from Germany's world champion Christina Obergföll's opening effort of 62.36m.

Obergföll was unable to advance on her first effort, and fellow German Linda Stahl came through for second with a last round effort of 63.75m.

Abakumova thus became a member of Stockholm's Diamond Club after bettering Norwegian Trine Hattestad's 13-year-old Stadium record of 67.92m with a winning effort of 68.59m.

"I didn't throw so far in Moscow because it was a World Championships and in my home country and my husband threw one day before me and I was very, very nervous," she said.

"There was a lot of pressure.

"I felt relaxed tonight though and I decided that I would compete tonight because my shape can be good for one day."

The Czech Republic's Zuzana Hejnová won the 400m hurdles


World 400m hurdles champion Zuzana Hejnová of the Czech Republic joined Abakumova as winner of a one carat, $10,000 (£6,400/€7,500) diamond after beating the 2011 400m hurdles meeting record of 53.74sec set here by Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica as she won in 53.70.

Hejnová is having a dream of a year - having arrived unbeaten at the Moscow World Championships, she was a commanding winner of the final in 52.83 and came to Stockholm already clear as winner of the Diamond Race.

She finished five metres ahead of Spencer - not selected for the World Championships - who finished second in 54.88 ahead of Moscow silver medallist Dalilah Muhammad of the United States, who clocked 55.74.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
August 2013: Bolt signs off with relay win to become World Championships' most successful athlete
August 2013: Bolt retains world 200m title as Putin's call boosts Russian medal haul
August 2013: Bondarenko does an Isinbayeva as he wins top class world high jump final