Lyles wins Boston 60 in personal best, Arop No.2 all-time in 1,000
Sports
The indoor athletics meet serves as early signpost on the road to next months' World Indoor C'ships
New York (AFP) – Reigning world 100- and 200-meter champion Noah Lyles served notice to Paris Olympic sprinters and Marco Arop ran the second-fastest indoor 1,000 ever on Sunday at the Boston Grand Prix.
The indoor athletics meet serves as an early signpost on the road to next months' World Indoor Championships in Glasgow and the Summer Games showdown in France.
Lyles, who was also on last year's world champion US 4x100 relay, was anxious to go for gold after winning the 60 meters in a personal best and 2024 world-leading 6.44 seconds.
"I'm just thinking about in 2022 when I PR-ed (set a personal record) and I ran an American record and last year when I PR-ed at this meet and I became the three-time world champion," Lyles said.
"Now I'm looking another major PR. Guess what that means? "We're coming after everything -- all the Olympic medals. I don't care who wants it. It's mine."
Lyles, whose time was 0.10 off countryman Christian Coleman's world indoor record, warned his starts are much better. "I just improved my 60 meters, the worst part of my race," Lyles said. "It's dangerous out here."
Jamaica's Ackeem Blake was second in 6.45 with American Ronnie Baker third in 6.54. Arop, the reigning world 800 outdoor champion, clocked the second-best men's 1,000 in 2:14.74 with American Bryce Hoppel a distant second in 2:16.91.
Sudan-born Canadian Arop's time was second only to the world indoor record of 2:14.20 set in 2016 at Stockholm by Ayanleh Souleiman of Djibouti.
"It ws a great race," Arop said. "I had so much fun out there. I was chasing that world record. I'm just happy with the way everything turned out. Being world champion means I just have to keep working harder."
American Hobbs Kessler spoiled the competitive return of 2022 world outdoor champion Jake Wightman, holding off the British star down the stretch to win the 1,500 in 3:33.66 with Wightman next on 3:34.06.
Hobbs, last year's world road mile champion, outlasted Wightman, who couldn't defend his world title last year due to a foot injury. "I was trying to do it as smooth as possible even though the world champion had got me stoked," Hobbs said. "I'm really proud of the win."
Reigning world indoor champion Grant Holloway won the 60 hurdles in a 2024 world-best of 7.35 seconds with fellow American Trey Cunningham second in 7.49.
"Just to start the season off on a fast opener, my fastest opener ever, I'm looking forward to it," Holloway said. "It's an Olympic year. But first things first. We've got to take care of world indoors."
Holloway, unbeaten in indoors hurdles races since 2014, is the three-time reigning world outdoor 110 hurdles champion and Tokyo Olympics runner-up. World indoor record-holder Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia, the reigning world outdoor 1,000m champion, won the 1,500 in 3:58.11.
"I'm really so happy," she said. "The pace we had was fast but it's a very good start for me." American Tia Jones won the women's 60 hurdles in 7.72, this year's world-best time.
American Tara Davis-Woodhall, last year's world runner-up, won the women's long jump with a 2024 world-best leap of 6.86. American Gabby Thomas, third in the 200 at the Tokyo Olympics, won the women's 300 in a world 2024 best of 35.75.
Hull, Girma win 3,000m
Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma, Tokyo Olympic steeplechase runner-up, won the men's 3,000 in 7:29.09 with Kenya's Edwin Kurgat second in 7:39.38. American Mikiah Brisco, the 2022 world indoor runner-up, won the women's 60 in 7.10.
Jessica Hull set an Australian record to win the women's 3,000 in 8:24.93. Jamaica's Carey McLeod, fourth at last year's worlds, won the long jump by leaping 8.20m with Britain's Jacob Fincham-Dukes second at 8.02.
Ireland's Mark English won the men's 600 in a personal best 1:16.64, edging Puerto Rico's John Rivera by .03. Kendall Ellis, who helped win 4x400 US relay Olympic gold at Tokyo, took the women's 400 in 52.77 while compatriot Vernon Norwood won the men's 400 in 45.76.
American Sammy Watson won the women's 800 in 2:01.20, defeating Britain's Isabelle Boffey by .33.
