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≡ NEW BALANCE GRAND PRIX ≡
American 800 m star Josh Hoey dominated the indoor 800 m last season, winning the World Indoor title in China and setting an American Record to win the USATF Nationals in Staten Island, New York.
His outdoor season was a disappointment as he failed to make the U.S. World Championships team, although his seasonal best of 1:42.01 made him no. 4 on the world list.
But now he’s back indoors and all is well. In December, he set the world best for 600 m at 1:12.84 in Boston and on Saturday, he mauled the World Indoor Record of 1:42.67 by Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer in 1997, running 1:42.50 to take the headline from the New Balance Grand Prix meet in Boston.
He was paced through the first 400 m by older brother Jaxson Hoey and passed the halfway mark in 50.21, then took over and finished in 52.30 for the 1:42.50 record win. He was way ahead of Poland’s Filip Ostrowski (1:44.68) and Dutchman Ryan Clarke (1:44.72).
The men’s 2,000 m was also set up for a record try, with indoor 3,000 m record holder Grant Fisher ready to go, but he wasn’t alone. The distance had already seen a shake-up with World 5,000 m Champion Cole Hocker of the U.S. running an American Indoor Record of 4:52.92 in Blacksburg, Virginia on Friday.
Fisher and 2023 World Road Mile Champion Hobbs Kessler were away after the pacemaking ended at 1,600 m, with Fisher leading until the fial half-lap as Kessler took over and held on to the line, getting a world record 4:48.79 win with Fisher at 4:49.48. Both of those times were faster than Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele’s 4:49.99 from back in 2007!
Belgium’s Peter Sisk was third at 4:52.41, now no. 5 all-time and British star Jake Wightman was fourth (4:53.69), now no. 9 all-time. Wow!
Those were the most spectacular results of a solid meet:
● Men/60 m hurdles: Trey Cunningham of the U.S., the 2022 Worlds 110 m silver winner, equaled the early-season world lead at 7.48, beating Connor Schulman (7.51).
● Women/800 m: U.S. outdoor champion Roisin Willis ran her fourth-fastest 800 m ever and won in an early-season world lead of 1:59.59, easily ahead of Isabelle Boffey (GBR: 2:00.14) and American Victoria Bossong (2:00.36).
● Women/1,500 m: Kenyan Dorcus Ewoi grabbed the early-season world lead with a 4:01.22 win over American Sinclaire Johnson, whose 4:01.30 moved her to no. 4 all-time U.S. indoors with the no. 5 performance. Fellow American Gracie Morris ran 4:02.12 for fifth, now no. five all-time U.S. indoor.
● Women/3,000 m: U.S. star Elle St. Pierre, the 2024 World Indoor 3,000 m champ, was back in full strength from maternity and dueled with Australia’s Linden Hall, the Paris Olympic 1,500 m sixth-placer in 2024. St. Pierre finally took the lead on the last lap and sailed to a world-leading time of 8:26.54, the no. 5 performance in American history (she has three of the five).
Hall was second in 8:27.03 ahead of countrywoman and Paris 1,500 m silver winner Jess Hull (8:36.03).
● Women/60 m Hurdles: A world lead for two-time World 100 m hurdles champ Danielle Williams (JAM) at 7.87, beating world indoor record holder Devynne Charlton (BAH: 7.92) and Christina Clemons of the U.S. (7.94).
Beyond the world leads, the men’s 300 m drew a lot of attention with sprint icon Noah Lyles, 2022 World Indoor 400 m champ Jereem Richards (TTO) and American 400 m star Vernon Norwood. Richards had the lead from the gun and Lyles finished with his usual rush, but fell just short by 32.14 to 32.15, the no. 7 performance in U.S. history for Lyles. Norwood was third in 32.38.
Elsewhere, Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake won the men’s 60 m in 6.53, American Worlds relay silver medalist Khaleb McRae won the 400 m over prep sensation Quincy Wilson, 45.38 to 45.96, and Ireland’s Cian McPhillips won the men’s 600 m, 1:16.37 to 1:17.20 and 1:17.24 over American stars Donovan Brazier and Bryce Hoppel. Australia’s Cam Myers moved to no. 10 all-time in the 3,000 m at 7:27.57, winning by more than three seconds.
James Carter of the U.S. won the triple jump at 16.32 m (53-6 1/2).
Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith won the women’s 60 m in 7.08, Britain’s Nicole Yeargin won the 400 m over heptathlon Worlds winner Anna Hall of the U.S., 52.63 to 52.77 and American Monae Nichols took the women’s long jump at 6.64 m (21-9 1/2).
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