Samba, 23, ran 46.98 last year, just 0.20 seconds off the world record set by Kevin Young of the US in winning the 1992 Olympic title in Barcelona, and Benjamin ran 47.02, putting him joint third on the all-time list with the legendary Ed Moses.

To say the first meeting of these two outstanding young talents - Benjamin is 21 - was keenly anticipated may be understating things.

Benjamin lost his form over the final two hurdles, but was also rewarded with his second best time, 47.80.

There was a similar clash of young titans in the men’s 100m, where world silver medallist Christian Coleman, 23, had victory taken off him in the final strides by 21-year-old US compatriot Noah Lyles.

Lyles, the exuberant Diamond League 200m champion of last year, only came into contention over the final 30 metres, but - just - did enough to win. 

The timing was 9.852 to 9.858.

In the women's 400m, Bahrain’s IAAF Diamond League champion Salwa Eid Naser held off Sydney McLaughlin of the US in another eagerly awaited head-to-head.

Naser clocked 50.65 to the American teenager's 50.78.

Olympic champion Omar McLeod collected a record fourth 110m hurdles victory in what is considered the meeting's signature event

The 25-year-old Jamaican cruised to a 13.12 performance, holding off China's Xie Wenjun, the Asian champion, who lowered his lifetime best to 13.17, moving to second on the Asian all-time list.

Yomif Kejelcha opened his season with a convincing victory in the 5,000m, holding off fellow Ethiopian Selemon Barega to win in 13min 04.16sec.

China’s Asian record-holder Lyu Huihui won the women’s javelin, hitting 66.89 metres to add four centimetres to the meeting record she set last year.