Harrison & Holloway hurdles sweep highlights adidas Boost Boston Games

The adidas Boost Boston Games capped off a busy weekend of track and field on the Journey To Gold. Following last night's USATF Throws Festival, Team USATF stars hit the roads of Boston and sprinters took to the temporary straightway on Boylston Street as part of the World Athletics’ Continental Tour Gold series.
 
A very smooth and confident race carried world record holder Keni Harrison to victory in the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.49, just off her own U.S.-leading mark. Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan (12.62) and Christina Clemons (12.72) finished second and third but couldn’t gain any ground on Harrison. Powerful and perfect over every barrier in the men’s 110m hurdles, reigning world champion Grant Holloway won by more than a half-second in 13.20 to set a meet record.
 
Blasting out of the blocks in the men’s 100m final, Isaiah Young was never really challenged as he won in 9.94. 200m world champion Noah Lyles clocked 10.10 for second. Lyles had been the fastest man in the heats with a 10.03 but was left with too much to claw back in the final. Aleia Hobbs and Gabby Thomas were out of the blocks very evenly in the women’s 100m. Hobbs had the better top-end speed and won in 11.05, but Thomas set a season best of 11.16 in second to beat Morolake Akinosun by .01.
 
Befitting the woman with the fastest time ever for a straightaway 200m, Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas cruised to an easy win in 22.08, a .32 margin over Kortnei Johnson, who was second in 22.40, with Doha 2019 400m fourth-placer Wadeline Jonathas third in 22.57. Canadian Jerome Blake, who had never previously run faster than 20.38 around the curve for 200m, surprised with a 19.89 that gave him the win over Zharnel Hughes of Great Britain, who was also under 20 seconds at 19.93. Wayde Van Niekerk of South Africa, the 400m Olympic champion and world record holder who won this race in 2017, was in contention before pulling up with an apparent injury near the end of the race.
 
Out of the blocks even with Doha 200m silver medalist Brittany Brown, Lynna Irby was a step quicker when it counted to pull out a win in the women’s 150m in 16.53, with Brown the runner-up in 16.65. The men’s title went to Jereem Richards of Trinidad, the 2017 World Championships 200m bronze medalist, in 14.75. Jamaica’s Yohan Blake, the second-fastest man ever at 100m and 200m, got the nod for second by five-thousandths over Andrew Hudson of the U.S in 14.94.
 
2018 women’s 200m hurdles winner Ebony Morrison took an early lead and looked set to win her second title, but Shamier Little passed her halfway down the straight and held the lead until Jamaica’s Shiann Salmon surged past over the final hurdle to come away with not only the win but the fastest time ever run in the event, 24.86. Little was second in 24.91, almost a second faster than her winning time in 2019.
 
The best hybrid hurdler in the field with a 110m hurdles best of 13.44, Amere Lattin led the men’s 200H for about 198 meters before Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos edged past him to win in a meet record 22.12, .06 ahead of Lattin.
 
Just missing the world U18 record in the men’s 100m, Erriyon Knighton won the Future Stars’ race in as lifetime best 10.16, .01 off the record held by American Anthony Schwartz. Kiara Parker won the “B” section of the women’s 100m in 11.07, a season best, while Texas high schooler Jasmine Montgomery zipped to an 11.27 to win the girls’ Dream 100. Mississippi state champ Jordan Anthony won the boys’ Dream 100m on a photofinish in 10.45, .005 ahead of Gavin Schurr of Colorado.
 
Earlier in the day, Nikki Hiltz led from the start to win the women’s road mile with a world-leading and personal best time of 4:31. Rebecca Mehra also set a new personal best time of 4:33 for second place. In the men’s race, Clayton Murphy came from behind to win with a time of 4:01 (4:00.548) in a photofinish beating out Sam Prakel (4:00.715) and Eric Avila (4:00.810).
 
In the 600m road race, Ajee Wilson finished second in 1:26 to Jamaica’s Natoya Goule’s world-leading time of 1:24. Canada’s Marco Arop won the men’s 600m in a world-leading time of 1:15 with American Sam Ellison edging out Great Britain’s Jamie Webb 1:15.612 to 1:15.810.
 
Sophie Atkinson clocked 4:41 to win the adidas High School Girls' Dream Mile and Ethan Strand won the adidas High School Boys’ Dream Mile in 4:10.
 
Full results from the adidas Boost Boston Games can be found here.
 
The next stop on the USATF Journey to Gold-Tokyo is USATF Invitational on Tuesday, May 25. Watch live coverage on USATF.TV+.
 
Diamond League begins in Gateshead
 
Prior to the adidas Boost Boston Games, the World Athletics’ Diamond League season began in Gateshead, England.
 
Reigning world champion Sam Kendricks handed Armand Duplantis his first defeat in the men’s pole vault since their Doha showdown in 2019, clearing 5.74m/18-10 on his second try in appalling conditions. Duplantis, the world record holder, missed twice at that height and passed to 5.80m/19-0.25 for his last attempt, brushing the bar slightly and bringing it down.
 
Two Team USATF men made it look easy on the track. Kenny Bednarek seemingly ignored the conditions to demolish a quality field in the 200m, clocking 20.33 (-3.0) in a hefty headwind to win by .46 seconds, with Vernon Norwood fourth in 20.95. Hillary Bor took off after a sluggish early pace and pulled away from Leonard Bett of Kenya over the last lap and celebrated down the final stretch to win the men’s 3,000m steeplechase in 8:30.20.
 
Contending with a strong headwind and pouring rain, Sha’Carri Richardson gave up a step at the start of the women’s 100m final and couldn’t make it up as she finished second to local favorite Dina Asher-Smith of Britain. Asher-Smith crossed the line in 11.35 (-3.1), with Richardson second in 11.44. Javianne Oliver was sixth in 11.58.
 
In the women’s shot put, which was operating under the new Diamond League format with only the top three throwers after five rounds getting a sixth attempt, Maggie Ewen ended up third despite having the second-best throw of the day. Ewen hit 18.54m/60-10 in round three, but could only manage 16.96m/55-7.75 in the modified final.
 
American record holder Keturah Orji finished fifth in the women’s triple jump with a wind-aided best of 13.96m/45-9.75.
 
Full results from Diamond League Gateshead can be found here.