Dylan Armstrong sets Canadian record in shot put

Dylan Armstrong of Kamloops, B.C., tossed a Canadian record in the shot put to win an international track and field competition in Belgrade on Thursday.

Armstrong's record throw of 20.92 metres came in the fourth round and added six centimetres to the record held by Brad Snyder.

It was also 20cm farther than the he had ever thrown before.

It was the second time this season that the 27-year-old has beaten the Olympic A-plus standard and, barring injury, he will represent Canada at the Beijing Olympics.

He was ninth in Athens four years ago.

Andriy Semenov of the Ukraine was second with 20.51m and Yuriy Bialou third with 20.26m.

So deep was the field that Yuriy Bilonoh, the reigning Olympic champion, could do no better than fourth.

The meet also served as the first competition in almost 18 months for Qatar's Saif Saeed Shaheen, the world record holder in the 3,000m steeplechase who has been injured.

Strong winds hampered the track events.

And though he was hoping to run around 13:10 for the 5,000m, Shaheen nevertheless finished second in a time of 13:29.83 behind the surprising 19-year-old Ethiopian Imane Marga Zida, who ran 13:24.29.

Shaheen, 26, was born in Kenya and christened Stephen Cherono, but switched citizenship in 2003.

He won the 3,000m steeplechase at both the 2003 and 2005 IAAF world championships, but was not allowed to run at the Athens Olympics because of the change in citizenship.

Also in Belgrade, Hilary Stellingwerf of Guelph, Ont., finished fifth in the women's 1,500m in a time of 4:14.34.

The race was won by Britain's Susan Scott in a time of 4:10.65.

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