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≡ ATHLOS NYC ≡
The second Athlos NYC meet came three weeks after the World Athletics Championships concluded in Tokyo, but there were stars – women only – who came to perform as well as to party at Icahn Stadium in New York.
At the top of the list was Brittany Brown, the 2024 Olympic 200 m bronze winner, who was only sixth at the USATF Nationals 200 m, but she won the 100 m in 10.99 (wind: +1.4 m/s) over fellow American Jacious Sears (11.01) and USATF runner-up Kayla White (11.22).
Now fully warmed up on a cool night, she blasted the turn from lane seven in the 200 and steamrolled the field with a lifetime best by 0.01 in 21.99 (+1.9)! That was well ahead of fellow American Anavia Battle (22.21) – fourth at the 2025 Worlds – and Cote d’Ivoire star Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith (22.65).
In the meantime, the long jump was underway, after Olympic and World Champion Tara Davis-Woodhall led the qualifying on Thursday night in Times Square at 6.81 m (22-4 1/4). In the final on Friday, she took the lead in the first round at 6.65 m (21-10), then extended to 6.82 m (22-4 1/2) in round two and blew up in round three, equaling her world-leading mark for 2025 at 7.13 m (23-4 3/4)!
That was well ahead of Olympic bronzer Jasmine Moore (6.64 m/21-9 1/2) and Jazmin Sawyers (GBR: 6.22 m/20-5).
The women’s 400 m was a win for Olympic champ Marileidy Paulino in 50.07, running away from Paris runner-up Salwa Eid Naser (BRN: 50.94) and Norway’s Henriette Jaeger (51.24). Olympic champ Keely Hodgkinson (GBR), relatively fresh after dealing with injuries most of the season, won in a speedy 1:56.53 in only her fourth meet of the season! She won from the front and ran away from teammate (and Worlds silver winner) Georgia Hunter Bell (1:58.33) and Shafiqua Maloney (VIN: 1:58.57).
Kenyan superstar Faith Kipyegon won the women’s mile as expected in 4:17.78, waiting patiently and finally taking over at 1,100 m and rolling home ahead of Ethiopian rival Gudaf Tsegay (4:19.75) and American champion Nikki Hiltz (4:32.51).
U.S. stars Masai Russell (Olympic champ), Grace Stark (Worlds bronze) and Olympic finalist Alaysha Johnson went 1-2-3 in the 100 m hurdles in wind-aided times of 12.52-12.60-12.66 (+2.3 m/s).
The meet was seen as more of a celebration of women’s track than any kind of championship, but paid well at $60,000-25,000-10,000-8,000-5,000-2,500!
Founder Alex Ohanian is promising a track & field “league” starting in 2026, but without any actual details as yet.
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