By Mike Rowbottom

Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare celebrates 200m victory at the Paris IAAF Diamond League meeting ©AFP/Getty ImagesBlessing Okagbare turned her fortunes around in the International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) Paris Diamond League meeting tonight with a 200 metres victory over Olympic champion Allyson Felix and World champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce just two days after failing to complete her 100m in Lausanne following a stumble.


The 25-year-old Nigerian, who took 200m bronze and long jump silver at last year's IAAF World Championships in Moscow, overhauled Felix in the final couple of metres, clocking 22.32sec to the American's 22.34.

Fraser-Pryce, whose season has been undermined by a foot injury, could only manage fifth place in 22.63.

Blessing Okagbare (left) en route for 200m victory in Paris ahead of Olympic champion Allyson Felix (centre) and World champion Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce ©AFP/Getty ImagesBlessing Okagbare (left) en route for 200m victory in Paris ahead of Olympic champion Allyson Felix (centre) and World champion Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce ©AFP/Getty Images

Kenya's double world 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop produced another of the Meeting Areva's standout performances as he demonstrated his basic speed by winning the 800m in 1min 43.34sec, the fastest time recorded this year, ahead of the Botswana's Olympic silver medallist Nijel Amos, who clocked 1:43.70.

Kiprop's performance was one of three 2014 world-leading efforts on the track. Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands produced a surprise victory against a women's 1500m field which included Sweden's world indoor and outdoor champion Abeba Aregawi and Kenya's Hellen Obiri, who  ran the fastest 3,000m by a non-Chinese athlete at the opening IAAF Diamond League meeting of the season.

Neither of the two favourites were in the hunt at the bell, however, as Hassan tracked the 2011 world champion, Jenny Simpson of the United States, overtaking her to record a national record of 3:57.00.

The third world-leading effort came from Kenya's Edwin Soi, who clocked 12:59.82 in winning the men's 5,000m from Ethiopia's Yenew Alamirew, who clocked 13:00.21.

The home crowd had plenty to cheer as Renaud Lavillennie, Olympic champion and world record holder in the pole vault, won at this meeting for the fourth consecutive time thanks to an effort of 5.70 metres

Eloyse Lesueur provided more home celebrations as she won the long jump with a personal best of 6.92m which left Brittney Reese of the United States, the Olympic and triple world champion, trailing with 6.87m and Ivana Spanovic, Serbia's world bronze medallist, third with 6.78.

Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands earns a surprise women's 1500m victory in Paris in a national record of 3:57.00sec ©AFP/Getty ImagesSifan Hassan of the Netherlands earns a surprise women's 1500m victory in Paris in a national record of 3:57.00sec ©AFP/Getty Images

In the women's high jump, Croatia's double World champion Blanka Vlasic, who returned to action last season after a serious Achilles tendon injury, won with 2.00m on countback ahead of Russia's Mariya Kuchina.

Vlasic's compatriot Sandra Perkovic maintained her winning run in the Diamond League discus with a meeting record of 68.48m, her fourth consecutive win this season following last year's perfect seven out of seven in the Diamond League.

The men's 100m, from which Jamaica's former world record holder Asafa Powell, who had planned to make it his comeback race after a doping ban, had had to withdraw with a reported hamstring injury, turned out a damp squib, with victory going to Michael Rodgers of the United States in 10.00.

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