Muzala Samukonga runs 400m world lead as Andre De Grasse and Sha\\\'Carri Richardon suffer 200m defeats

Zambia\\\'s Muzala Samukonga showed he is a genuine contender for top 400m honours with the fastest time in the world this year at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix on Saturday (29 April).

Last year\\\'s Commonwealth Games champion clocked 43.91, improving his personal best by seven-tenths of a second, to beat London 2012 gold medallist Kirani James (44.76) and Botswana\\\'s Leungo Scotch (44.92).

The 20-year-old, who collapsed to the track afterwards in what is becoming trademark fashion, eclipsed the time of 44.17 set by Wayde van Niekerk at the start of the month in the South African Championships.

Two of the big names failed to deliver in Gaborone which hosted Botswana\\\'s first World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet.

Olympic champion Andre De Grasse could only finish seventh in the 200m which was won by home favourite Letsile Tebogo.

The 19-year-old rising star also set a world lead time this year, crossing the line in 19.87 with De Grasse\\\'s compatriot Aaron Brown (20.00) in second and Liberia\\\'s Joseph Fahnbulleh (20.14) third.

De Grasse beat just one rival home in 20.41.

That came after Sha’Carri Richardson was beaten in the same event by fellow American Kayla White.

In her first 200m of the season, Richardson clocked 22.54 with White running a season\\\'s best 22.38 to take victory.