Six UK athletes competed in the opening IAAF Super Grand Prix meeting of the season in the Qatari capital city of Doha on Friday night, 11 May.

Mark Lewis-Francis (Birchfield Harriers) was sixth in his 100m heat (wind: -1.0 metres per second) in 10.47 seconds, which places him fifth in the Power of 10 rankings established by UK Athletics and its governing partners to inspire improvements in every event in every age group in every region on the way to London 2012. Christian Malcolm (Cardiff AAC) was seventh in the other heat in 10.63 seconds. His heat was won in 10.38 by Michael Frater (Jamaica). Lewis-Francis’ heat was won by Darrel Brown (Trinidad and Tobago) in 10.22. Brown sped on to victory the final (wind: -0.1) in 10.13, six hundredths of a second ahead of Frater.

Malcolm was fifth in the 200m (wind: +0.2) in 20.96 seconds, which places him second in the Power of 10 rankings behind Daniel Caines (Birchfield Harriers). Christopher Williams (Jamaica) won in 20.24.

Andy Turner (Sale Harriers Manchester) finished fifth in the 110m hurdles (wind: -0.5 m/s) in 13.47 seconds, a vast improvement on the 13.80 he clocked in his first outing in Philadelphia on 28 April. These are the only UK times to date under the Power of 10 national standard for this year of 13.98 seconds. Ahead of him in Doha were four USA hurdlers: David Payne won in 13.12, equalling the fastest in the world this year, from David Oliver (13.14), Terrence Trammell (13.15) and Ron Bramlett (13.39).

Larry Achike (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers) was seventh in the triple jump with 16.21m (wind: -1.1 m/s), which takes him to fifth in the Power of 10 standings, which are led by European Indoors gold and silver medallists Phillips Idowu (Belgrave Harriers) at 17.56m and Nathan Douglas (Oxford City) at 17.47m. The Doha winner, Jadel Gregorio (Brazil) had a best of 17.04m (wind: -0.8).

In her debut at 3000m steeplechase, Helen Clitheroe (Preston Harriers) finished 10^th in 10:05.79, to go second in the Power of 10 rankings behind Barbara Parker (City of Norwich AC). The current fastest in the world, Donna MacFarlane (Australia) won in 9:34.47.

Jade Johnson (Herne Hill Harriers) was eighth in the long jump with 6.40m (wind: -1.3), which means she remains third in the Power of 10 rankings behind Birchfield pair Kelly Sotherton and Amy Harris. Kumiko Ikeda (Japan) won with 6.70m (wind: +0.1).

Coincidentally, Jessica Ennis (City of Sheffield AC) jumped 6.40m on her way to heptathlon victory in Italy last weekend. Ennis tonight lost her surprise spot at the head of the world high jump rankings, which was earned when she equalled the UK record of 1.95m last Saturday. Blanka Vlasic (Croatia) won in Doha at 2.04m, leaving European Indoor Champion Tia Hellebaut (Belgium) second at 1.98m. Ennis, of course, remains top of the world heptathlon rankings with her UK Under 23 record score of 6388 points.

For the full results from the Doha meeting, please click here