The Netherlands’ Dafne Schippers won the women’s 60 metres race in a time of 7.08sec ©Getty Images

The Netherlands’ Dafne Schippers and the United States’ Mike Rodgers claimed the sprint titles at the opening International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) new World Indoor Tour meeting at the Messehalle in Karlsruhe in Germany.

Schippers won the women’s 60 metres in 7.08sec, snatching the lead from America's Barbara Pierre and claiming victory by just one-hundredth of a second. 

Earlier in the heats, the 200m world champion and European record holder clocked a world-leading time of 7.07,  just 0.02 away from her personal best achieved last year.

Rounding out the top three in the showdown was Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, fifth behind Schippers in the women’s 200m final at last year’s IAAF World Championships in Beijing.

Asher-Smith crossed the line in 7.11, beating the Ivory Coast’s Marie Josée Ta Lou to the final podium place by 0.03 seconds.

Dutchwoman Dafne Schippers beat America's Barbara Pierre by just one-hundredth of a second to claim victory in the 60m at Karlsruhe in 7.08, having earlier set a world-leading 7.07 ©IAAF
Dutchwoman Dafne Schippers beat America's Barbara Pierre by just one-hundredth of a second to claim victory in the 60m at Karlsruhe in 7.08, having earlier set a world-leading 7.07 ©IAAF

In the men’s 60m, Rodgers quickly put the disappointment of being disqualified at the PSD Bank Meeting in Düsseldorf on Wednesday (February 3) behind him to clock a world-leading 6.52 in his heat, with St Kitts and Nevis veteran Kim Collins winning the other in 6.54.

The final saw 30-year-old Rodgers, who had served a nine months drugs ban in 2011 after testing positive for the stimulant methylhexaneamine, get a slow start but ultimately outdo Collins as they both recorded the same times they had in their heats.

The victory by Rodgers, the 2010 World Indoor Championship silver medallist in the 60m, brought an end to the remarkable 14-meeting winning streak over the distance by 39-year-old Collins, dating back to 2014. 

American Trell Kimmons was third in 6.58, the same time credited to fellow countryman Joe Morris.

The United States' Mike Rodgers clocked a world-leading 6.52 in both his heat and the final of the men's 60m ©Twitter
The United States' Mike Rodgers clocked a world-leading 6.52 in both his heat and the final of the men's 60m ©Twitter

There were also world-leading times set in the women’s 60m hurdles and women’s 1500m courtesy of the America's Kendra Harrison and Ethiopia’s Axumawit Embaye.

Competing in her first international indoor meeting, Harrison clocked 7.82 in her heat.

Expectations were high that she would go faster still in the final and, although a poor start put paid to that, she was still significantly faster than anyone in the world has run this year with a time of 7.86.

World indoor champion Nia Ali of the US was second in 7.94, having won her heat in 7.96, with Britain’s European 100m hurdles champion Tiffany Porter third in the same time but relegated down the results after a study of the photo-finish.

Embaye lived up to her reputation as favourite when the world indoor silver medallist triumphed in a world-leading 4min 08.22, edging to the front with just over two laps to go and holding off all her rivals.

Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen, 18, pressed Embaye down the home straight and was rewarded with second place in a European junior indoor record of 4:08.38.

Ireland’s Ciara Mageean finished third in a national record 4:08.66, a quarter-of-a second quicker than Germany's world steeplechase bronze medallist Gesa Felicitas Krause.