The Frenchman, who has competed sparingly after injuring his ankle attempting 6.21m as an immediate follow-up to his world record of 6.16m in Donetsk three months ago, finished 30 centimetres clear of his nearest challenger, Greek world indoor champion Konstadinos Filippidis, who managed 5.62m.

But if Lavillenie's victory was expected, that of Egypt's Abdelrahman El Sayed in a javelin event containing all three of last year's world medallists was not - especially as he came up with an African record of 89.21m with his opening throw, eclipsing the area record set by South Africa's Marius Corbett in winning the 1998 Commonwealth title in Kuala Lumpur.

El Sayed beat the gold, silver and bronze medallists from Moscow last summer - respectively Vítězslav Veselý, Tero Pitkämäki and Dmitriy Tarabin - as well as surprise London 2012 champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago, who was seventh.

It was a significant improvement for El Sayed on his previous best of 83.93m, set in Cairo less than a fortnight ago.

It was also a significant re-statement of Africa's growing ambitions in this event, given that Kenya's Julius Yego was fourth in Moscow last summer with 85.40m.

Abdelrahman El Sayed produced the performance of the IAAF Shanghai Diamond League meeting as he defeated a javelin field including all three world medallists from last year and the London 2012 champion with an African record of 89.21m ©Getty Images

El Sayed's flourish was rivalled in terms of its startling impact with the finish of the men's 800m, where Algeria's Olympic 1500m champion Taoufik Makhloufi decided to celebrate his comfortable lead with 15 metres to go by putting out both his arms.

However, the Algerian's flight stalled as 18-year-old Kenyan Robert Biwott accelerated past him to take victory on the line.

Sandra Perković of Croatia produced a 2014 world lead of 70.52m in the women's discus, adding just one centimetre to the national record of 70.51 she achieved in Split on March 1 - the first 70m throw for almost 15 years.

Athens 2004 Olympic champion Justin Gatlin of the United States won the 100m in 9.92sec, the fastest time run this year, finishing 0.2 seconds ahead of Jamaica's Nesta Carter.

Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare earned a double victory, taking the women's long jump with a first round leap of 6.86m and then clocking 22.36 for the 200m.

Jamaica's triple world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who won the 100m last week at the season-opening Diamond League meet in Doha, Qatar, did not start the race due to a shin injury.

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