All-star sprinters head to historic Boylston Street for 2021 adidas Boost Boston

BOSTON -- World champions Noah Lyles and Grant Holloway lead an all-star cast of sprinters and hurdlers who will take over Boylston Street in Boston Sunday for the adidas Boost meet, part of the USATF Journey to Gold Tokyo Outdoor Series and Continental Tour Gold.
 
Lyles, who ran away with the men’s 200m title at Doha in October 2019 for his first World Championships gold, won the 150m at the 2019 edition of the adidas Boost meet, but steps down to the 100m this year. The fastest man in the field with a 9.86 PR, Lyles will be up against his brother, Josephus, as well as sub-10 challengers Jaylen Bacon, Kyree King, Kendal Williams and Isaiah Young. Jamaica’s Nickel Ashmeade set his PR of 9.90 in 2013 and picked up gold at Rio in the 4x100m relay.
 
Following up on a hot indoor season that saw him take down one of the oldest world records on the books in the 60m hurdles, Holloway brings a world-leading 13.07 to Boston for the 110m version, where he has world record-holder Aries Merritt and Shane Brathwaite of Barbados, who was sixth at Doha, to push him.
 
Women’s 100m hurdles world record holder Keni Harrison, the U.S. leader at 12.48, again has a stacked deck to play against in one of the toughest events to qualify for Team USATF. Defending Boost champion Sharika Nelvis edged out Christina Clemons in 2019, and Clemons has already clocked 12.59 in 2021. Danielle Williams of Jamaica was the world champion in 2015 and picked up bronze in 2019, and is making her outdoor debut after a successful indoor campaign. Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan is tied with Harrison on the world list at 12.48 and was just out of the medals at Doha.
 
Long sprinters dominate the entries in both 200m contests, led by men’s 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa. Van Niekerk zipped to a 19.84 to win in 2017 and matched that the next weekend around the curve in Jamaica. Zharnel Hughes of Britain won the last time down Boylston St. with a 20.00 and is in sub-20 shape.
 
Bahamian Olympic and World 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo headlines the women’s 200m, sporting a world-leading 22.03 this season. Another 400m specialist, Wadeline Jonathas, was fourth at Doha and is the top U.S. contender. Both will have to keep an eye on Tynia Gaither of the Bahamas, the 2019 Pan American Games bronze medalist who won Tuesday at the USATF Open in Fort Worth.
 
The 200m hurdles on the straight is always an entertaining challenge for athletes coming from the shorter and longer barrier races, so this year’s women’s race will be of particular interest. Shamier Little has won two of the last three editions in this event and brings much-improved flat speed as evidenced by her 49.91 in the 400m, as well as a world-leading 53.65 in the 400m hurdles. Rio 400H bronze medalist Ashley Spencer has never run this distance over hurdles but has a faster flat 200m PR than Little.
 
In the men’s event, Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos smashed his 400H lifetime best with a national record 47.68 at the USATF Golden Games at Mt. SAC but has not shown any propensity for flat speed to date. TJ Holmes has been fifth twice in the 400H at the World Championships, while Quincy Hall was the 2019 NCAA champion at 400H and has run 44.53 for the flat one-lapper. Pan American Games silver medalist Amere Lattin might be the favorite in this hybrid event based on his superior background in the 110H, where he has a best of 13.44.
 
Defending women’s 100m champion Murielle Ahouré of Cote d’Ivoire has a ton of international experience that includes a 2018 World Indoor gold in the 60m and silvers at 100m and 200m at the 2013 World Championships. She will have to call on all that to have a chance at beating Aleia Hobbs, the fourth-fastest woman in the world this year at 10.91. Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands, the 2016 Rio 200m silver medalist, won two World Championships golds in the 200m and was the silver medalist at 100m in 2015. She has a PR of 10.81 and is making her season debut at this distance. Olympic and World 4x100m relay gold medalist Morolake Akinosun is one more American who could win after clocking 11.08 and 11.09 this season.
 
One of history’s fastest men over 100m (9.69) and 200m (19.26), Jamaica’s Yohan Blake is on the comeback trail and has looked sharp in recent outings over 100m, including a 10.05 two weeks ago. He will try to improve on his third-place finish in the 150m at this meet four years ago, but 2017 World Championships 200m bronze medalist Jereem Richards of Trinidad and American Andrew Hudson stand in his way. Hudson has run 20.29 for 200m this season.
 
Doha women’s 200m silver medalist Brittany Brown shares much in common with Lynna Irby, a silver medalist in the 4x400m relay at the 2019 Pan American Games, but it’s a first outing for both over 150m. Shania Collins was third in this race two years ago, and Dezerea Bryant picked up a bronze on Team USATF’s 4x100m relay at Doha. Adding to the mix a pair of sub-11 100s in her career is Ashley Henderson, the runner-up at the 2019 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships.
 
Coverage of adidas Boost Boston will run 10am-11am EDT on usatf.tv+, followed by 4pm-4:30pm, leading into a live broadcast on NBC from 4:30pm-6:00pm EDT.
 
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