Starc wins Diamond League high jump trophy

Australian high jumper Brandon Starc has won the Diamond League high jump trophy in Brussels.

Red-hot high jumper Brandon Starc has become just the fourth Australian to win a Diamond League trophy, pocketing $US50,000 ($A69,300) for his efforts.

Kurtis Marschall was lucky to escape with nothing worse than bruised heels after a potentially dangerous landing in the men's pole vault.

And distance runner Stewart McSweyn managed the rare double of smashing his personal best and then dislocating his shoulder on an eventful night for the Australian contingent at the Diamond League final in Brussels.

Starc is in the form of his life, having equalled the 21-year-old Australian record of 2.36m last weekend in Germany.

The Gold Coast Commonwealth Games champion justified his pre-event favouritism in the Belgian capital on Friday, winning the high jump final on countback from Germany's Mateusz Przybylko with a best clearance of 2.33m.

"If I was to put it down to one thing it would probably be self-belief," the 24-year-old Starc said.

"To actually believe that I belonged in world high jump among these guys - to mix it with the best and beat the best.

"It started with the Commonwealth Games - that kick-started it 100 per cent, winning that and having a gold medal at home."

The only other Australians to have won season-ending Diamond League trophies are hurdler Sally Pearson in 2017 and long jumpers Fabrice Lapierre (2016) and Mitchell Watt (2011).

Like Starc, the 21-year-old Marschall has enjoyed the best season of his life in 2018.

But he was unable to continue that run of success in Brussels, crashing out without clearing a height in an event eventually won by Russian Timur Morgunov with 5.93m.

Marschall landed awkwardly on the side of the mat and received immediate medical treatment, where he was diagnosed with bruised heels.

McSweyn has smashed a slew of records across a variety of distances in the past 12 months.

His PB of 13 minutes 05.23 seconds in the 5000m final moved him to second spot on the Australian all-time list, behind Craig Mottram.

But the race had a painful postscript for the 23-year-old Tasmanian, who crashed and fell after crossing the finish line, dislocating his left shoulder in the process.

Ethiopian runners filled the top five places, with Selemon Barega claiming the win in 12:43.02.

Australian Brooke Stratton was fifth in the women's long jump with 6.57m.


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Source: AAP

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