Phillips Idowu beats Christian Taylor in Diamond League

Great Britain's Phillips Idowu beat world champion Christian Taylor in an impressive start to his outdoor season at Shanghai's Diamond League meeting.

The Londoner, 33, consistently leapt over 17 metres in heavy rain and high wind to win with a best mark of 17.24m.

Jamaica's Asafa Powell, fourth fastest in the world this year, dominated the 100m to finish clear in 10.02 seconds.

Liu Xiang thrilled the home crowd - his electric 12.97 in the 110m hurdles beat David Oliver and Jason Richardson.

Idowu's victory in the event's finale was all the more impressive considering the fact he coped best with the difficult conditions.

Taylor struggled throughout, registering four no jumps before recording 16.96m on his final attempt to come third, behind fellow-American Will Claye.

The 22-year-old won the World Championship in Daegu last year with a leap of 17.96m, which put him fifth on the all-time list, and he is expected to be one of Idowu's main challengers at London 2012.

"I am in great shape," said Idowu. "My timing was slightly off and my technique was not perfect, but this was the first one of the year and I feel great."

Great Britain's Shara Proctor could not match Idowu's success, though, as she finished a disappointing eighth in the women's long jump with a best of 6.31m.

In the 100m, the United States' Mike Rogers, who received a back-dated suspension for failing a drugs test in July but remains available for Olympic selection, finished strongly to take second in 10.08 - ahead of Powell's compatriot Nesta Carter.

It was Powell who stole the show, though, and he said: "I did technically well so I'm happy. I felt good, it went well but it was raining so I didn't push too hard."

Angelo Taylor, one of the main threats to British world champion Dai Greene's Olympic hopes in the 400m hurdles, won in 48.98 seconds.

And the world and Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown won the first of a likely series of meetings with the United States' Carmelita Jeter this season, coming home in 22.50.

World indoor champion Genzebe Dibaba did not hold back in the women's 1500m and sprinted home in three minutes 57.77 seconds, by far the fastest time of the year and the quickest ever run by an Ethiopian woman.

"I am very, very happy," said Dibaba, the 21-year-old sister of Olympic 5,000 and 10,000m champion Tirunesh. "I felt strong and I had a good feeling that I would win."

Her compatriot Kenenisa Bekele, one of Mo Farah's main rivals, managed just fifth place in his first 5,000 of the season behind compatriot Hagos Gebrhwet, who won in 13.11.00.