American sprint hurdler continues sensational run of form as Duplantis, Alfred, Thomas and Katzberg also impress at Continental Tour Gold meeting.

Ja'Kobe Tharp continued his remarkable rise to the top of world sprint hurdling by producing another outstanding performance at the István Gyulai Memorial in Budapest on Tuesday (Aug 14).

Less than a month after stunning the athletics world with his 12.75 world record at the NCAA Championships, the American clocked 12.85 (-0.4) to win the men's 110m hurdles in emphatic fashion at the final World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting of the season.

Although not quite matching his historic run in Eugene, the 22-year-old's performance ranks among the fastest in history and his next stop is London as he is among the athletes lining up at the Diamond League in the British capital on Saturday (July 18).

Tharp was never seriously threatened, crossing the line 16 hundredths of a second clear after easing down in the closing metres. Jamal Britt finished second in 13.01, with reigning world champion Cordell Tinch third in a season's best 13.06.

The victory also reversed the finishing order from the Eugene Diamond League, where Britt had got the better of Tharp. Budapest marked the American's fourth successive sub-13-second clocking, following his world record of 12.75 and NCAA title-winning 12.90.

Elsewhere, Olympic and world hammer champion Ethan Katzberg produced one of the performances of the meeting with a world-leading 83.64m. The Canadian opened with 82.47m before improving to 83.55m in the third round and adding another nine centimetres with his fifth-round effort.

Germany's Merlin Hummel (81.74m) and Hungary's Bence Halász (81.65m) completed the podium, the same trio that filled the medals at last year's World Championships. Katzberg's winning mark also erased Halász's meeting record of 83.18m.

Gabby Thomas produced her trademark finishing speed to overhaul fellow American Kayla White in the women's 200m. White looked set for victory after a superb bend, but the Olympic champion surged past in the closing stages to win in a meeting record 21.83, with White rewarded by a lifetime best of 21.92.

The men's 400m hurdles produced arguably the closest finish of the night. Brazil's Matheus Lima led into the home straight but was swallowed up by the chasing pack, with Germany's Emil Agyekum prevailing in a meeting record 47.58.

American Trevor Bassitt followed just one hundredth behind in 47.59, with Caleb Dean clocking 47.62 in third and Lima fourth in 47.74. The first six finishers all dipped inside the previous meeting record.

Australia enjoyed a memorable evening in the vertical jumps. Former world champion Eleanor Patterson cleared a season's best 2.00m to defeat compatriot and reigning world champion Nicola Olyslagers in the women's high jump after the pair had matched each other throughout the competition.

Olympic pole vault champion Nina Kennedy also emerged victorious, sharing the meeting record of 4.80m with New Zealand's Eliza McCartney before winning on countback.

There was another meeting record in the men's 1500m, where Kenyan teenager Phanuel Koech edged compatriot Danson Kiplangat by one hundredth of a second.

Competing internationally for the first time this season, the world under-20 record-holder clocked 3:31.09 to take victory in a dramatic finish.

Mondo Duplantis was made to work harder than usual in the men's pole vault. The world record-holder failed at his first attempt at 6.00m before recovering to clear the height on his second try, after Australia's Kurtis Marschall had already negotiated it at the first time. Duplantis then added 6.07m at the first attempt to secure victory before unsuccessfully attacking 6.32m.

Elsewhere, Olympic champion Julien Alfred continued her superb sprinting season with victory in the women's 100m, clocking 10.87 (-0.3) ahead of Jamaica's Tina Clayton (10.97), as Elaine Thompson-Herah finished fourth in 11.04.

Masai Russell led an American clean sweep in the women's 100m hurdles with 12.33, ahead of Rayniah Jones (12.47) and Alaysha Johnson (12.49).

Olympic long jump champion Miltiadis Tentoglou saved his best until last, producing an 8.31m leap in the sixth round to deny Anvar Anvarov.

Jasmine Jones dipped below 53 seconds for the first time this season to win the women's 400m hurdles in 52.91, while Zambia's Muzala Samukonga, the reigning Commonwealth champion, returned to form with a season's best 44.02 in the men's one-lap event.

Italy's Leonardo Fabbri won the shot with 22.04m, Algeria's Djamel Sedjati opened his 800m season with victory in 1:43.19, Abbey Caldwell led an Australian one-two in the women's 1500m, Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang took the men's 3000m in 7:31.90 and Emmanuel Eseme won the men's 100m in 9.99.