Americans Lolo Jones, Bershawn Jackson win hurdles races at Diamond League opener in Doha

Americans Jones, Jackson win hurdles races in Doha

DOHA, Qatar — American runners Lolo Jones and Bershawn Jackson won their hurdles events Friday at the inaugural Diamond League meet.

Jones held off a challenge from Priscilla Lopes-Schliep of Canada to win the women’s 100 meter hurdles in 12.63, while Jackson beat fellow American Kerron Clement in the men’s 400 hurdles.

Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell, meanwhile, was impressive in winning his 100 heat in a wind-aided 9.75 seconds to qualify for the final. Olympic and world champion Usain Bolt skipped the meet.

Jones had a slow start and clipped the first two hurdles before taking control of the race, beating Lopes-Schliep by 0.04 seconds.

“I hit two hurdles, so midway through the race I said there is no way I’ll win,” Jones said. “Then I started pulling things together. I was completed shocked I won. That I was able to get back in control, I was really proud of myself.”

Jackson, the Olympic bronze medalist, used a strong finish down the stretch to clock 48.66 and beat Clement by 0.16 seconds. Olympic champion Angelo Taylor was fourth.

Jackson said he hopes this will be just the first of many victories this season.

“I want to be No. 1, I want to win all the Diamond League races,” the American said. “Today because of the wind, we could not get better times. But it was nice to beat the Olympic champion.”

The Doha meet is the first of 14 around the world in the Diamond League — which is the successor to the Golden League. Besides Bolt and fellow sprinter Tyson Gay, the meet is also missing the three athletes who shared the $1 million Golden League jackpot last year — Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, American 400 runner Sanya Richards and Ethiopian long-distance runner Kenenisa Bekele.

Isinbayeva is taking a break from the sport this season after failing to win a medal at the world indoor championships, while Richards and Bekele are out injured.