Pole Vault champion Steve Hooker has collected his first points on the IAAF Diamond League tour with a podium finish in Round 5 of the all-new series in New York (USA) overnight.

Hooker was joined by fellow Commonwealth Games nominees Sally Pearson (100m hurdles) and Eloise Wellings (5000m) in action in the Big Apple, the pair placing eighth and 11th in their respective events.

Opening his account at a height of 5.40m Hooker sailed over the bar on his first attempt before clearing heights of 5.60m and 5.70m on his second and third attempts respectively. After missing his first attempt at 5.75m Hooker passed on that height before requiring just one trip down the runway to clear 5.80m.

Passing at 5.85m Hooker was unable to clear 5.90m but had done enough to claim second place and his first two points in the Diamond Race.

World championships bronze medallist and Diamond Race leader Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) took out the event with a meet record clearance of 5.85m.

In other track action, Olympic silver medallist Sally Pearson clocked 12.83 (w:2.0) to place eighth in the 100m hurdles on her Diamond League debut.

Four of Pearson’s likely challengers for a medal in New Delhi (IND) took to the start line in New York and, showing just how competitive the event is on the international stage, all nine competitors crossed the line within .6 seconds of the leader. America’s Lolo Jones continued her dominance of the event with her third win from as many starts on the Diamond League tour, taking victory in a world-leading time of 12.55.

Rounding out the Australian action in New York overnight, national 5000m and 10,000m champion Eloise Wellings placed 11th in the women’s 5000m in a time 16:11.61. Ethiopian athlete Tirunesh Dibaba took home the four points with a winning time of 15:11.34.

The 14-meet Diamond League tour now moves to Eugene (USA) for Round 6 of the series on Saturday, July 3.

In other athletics action overnight, world championships representative and Commonwealth Games nominee David McNeill has taken out the NCAA 5000m championship in Eugene (USA) in a time of 13:44.81.

The Northern Arizona University representative said it was a gritty effort to get over the line.

“I really wanted to win. I just gritted my teeth and tried to hold on to the finish line, I was glad to be the first one across and glad it wasn’t a really, really fast race,” he said.

In a promising sign for Australia’s middle distance hopes at this year’s Commonwealth Games, fellow Australian Flame athlete and New Delhi ticket-holder Collis Birmingham clocked the second-fastest 5000m time of his career to place fourth at the Primo Nebiolo Memorial meet in Turin (ITA).

The 25-year-old Victorian stopped the clock at 13:15.92, second only to the 13:14.53 he posted in Oslo (NOR) in July last year, crossing the line behind Kenyan Daniel Salel in 13:12.46.

"It's a shame it wasn't a bit quicker but I was left wanting in that last lap," Birmingham said.

For more details from the Primo Nebiolo Memorial meet in Turin, click here.

New South Welshman Ben St Lawrence, who will join McNeill and Birmingham in the men’s 5000m in New Delhi this October, clocked 3:39 over 1500m at a meet in Watford (GBR) to show he is back to full fitness following a recent back injury.

Athletics Australia