Devynne Charlton was the only Caribbean athlete to win an event but several others were on the podium at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix at The Track at New Balance in Boston on Saturday.

The 27-year-old Bahamian, who won silver at the 2022 World Indoor Championships, clocked a season-best 7.87 whole holding off the challenge of Sharika Nelvis of the USA (7.93) and Celeste Mucci of Australia, who ran a personal best of 7.95.

Jamaica’s Danielle Williams ran 7.97 for fourth in the keenly contested battle for the minor place.

Meanwhile, 2022 World Indoor 400m champion Jereem Richards was nipped on the line by Noah Williams of the USA in a tight three-way finish.

The Trinidadian led most of the way but tightened up over the last 50m when Williams jumped at the chance to get past him on the inside to take the race by 0.04s.

Both were given the same time of 45.88. However, on closer inspection, Williams clocked 45.876 to Richards’ 45.880.

Vernon Norwood finished third in 45.92.

Jamaican’s Leah Anderson and Janieve Russell finished second and third, respectively, in the Women’s 500m in which Fembke Bol unleashed a new world’s best performance.

The Dutch athlete, who won silver in the 400m hurdles in Oregon in 2022, demonstrated superior speed and strength to pull away from the field and win in 1:05.63 to become the first woman to run faster than 1:06.00 in the event.

It was a new personal best, national record and world record.

Anderson made a late surge to get by Russell in the final stages to establish a new Jamaican national record of 1:08.34.

Russell, the now two-time Commonwealth Games 400m hurdles champion, faded to third in 1:09.18.

The Women’s 60m dash was billed as a clash between World 200m champion Shericka Jackson of Jamaica and World and Olympic 400m hurdles champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

Somebody forgot about Aleia Hobbs, who just last week ran 6.98 over 60m, tied for the ninth fastest time ever with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah.

But while both Jackson and McLaughlin-Levrone failed to make the final finishing fifth in the respective heats, Hobbs dominated the field to take the final in 7.02 ahead of training partner Mikiah Brisco, who ran a season best 7.10.

Celera Barnes ran 7.21 for third in the American sweep.

Noah Lyles edged Trayvon Brommel by the smallest of margins to win the men’s event in a personal best 6.51 (6.507). Brommel 6.51 (6.509) took the runner-up spot.

Ghana’s Benjamin Azamati clocked 6.62 for third.

 

Track and field superstars Shericka Jackson and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone are set for an exciting clash in the 60m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix at the New Balance Track in Boston on February 4.

Jackson, who finished as runner-up in Jamaica’s National Sportswoman of the Year awards last week, had a magnificent 2022 season which saw her 21.45 to become the fastest woman alive in the 200m on her way to winning gold in the event at the World Championships in Eugene.

She also ran a new personal best of 10.71 to finish second in the 100m behind Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce. Jackson, 28, has a 60m personal best of 7.04 which she ran to finish sixth at the World Indoor Championships in Serbia last year.

The USA’s McLaughlin-Levrone, 23, is also coming off a spectacular year which was crowned with her being named as the World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year in December.

In July, she became the first woman in history to run a sub-51 second 400m hurdles when she ran a sensational 50.68 to win her maiden 400m world title. That was after she broke her own then-world record of 51.46, which she ran to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics, with a 51.41 effort at the US Championships in June. McLaughlin-Levrone has never run a 60m race.

World Championship 100m finalist Aleia Hobbs and World Indoor Championships 60m silver medallist Mikiah Briscoe will also be in the field in Boston. 

Free of injury and embracing a new mindset are among the key factors why Danielle Williams is enjoying her sport once more.

After a relatively disappointing season in 2021, Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards announced on Sunday that he is determined to make 2022 a better year.

Bahamian Olympic champion, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, set a new national record to claim the women’s 400m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on Saturday.  

The 26-year-old looked in imperious form as she hurried from the blocks and hardly seemed to let up, in the end, claiming the event by a comfortable margin.  Miller-Uibo stopped the clock at 50.21, well clear of second-place Waldine Jonathas of the United States, who was second in 51.95, and Jessica Beard who finished third in 52.60.

In the less frequently contested men’s 300m, Jamaica’s Christopher Taylor also set a national record but was second behind Jereem Richard who clocked a speedy 32.17.  The USA’s Kahmari Montgomery finished third in 32.96.

Jamaica’s Briana Williams clocked 7.22 to qualify for the women’s 60m final but did not face the starter for the final.  The event was won by Kayla White in a personal best of 7.15, with Hannah Cunliffe second in 7.17 and Candace Hill third in 7.19.

In the women’s 60m hurdles, Jamaica’s Britany Anderson finished outside of the top three spots, with a time of 7.99.  The event was taken by Keri Harrison in a world-leading 7.82, with Tiffany Porter second in 7.89 and Gabrielle Cunningham third in an identical time.

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