Devon Allen moved up to third place on the all-time 110 metres hurdles list as he clocked 12.84 seconds at the USA Track and Field New York Grand Prix to inflict a shock defeat on world champion and fellow American Grant Holloway.
The 27-year-old Allen, who missed an Olympic medal by one place last summer, is destined to start a National Football League career with the Philadelphia Eagles.
But this performance at the Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island might even put some doubt in his mind about returning to the Olympic arena.
Making the most of a helpful tailwind of 1.6 metres per second, 0.4mps inside the limit for legal records, Allen finished well clear of the Tokyo 2020 silver medallist and world indoor record holder at this new World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting.
Holloway, second on the all-time list with 12.81, just 0.01 off the world record set by Aries Merritt of the United States in 2012, could only clock 13.06, with Daniel Roberts third on 13.17.
With just two weeks to go until the United States trials for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, which start on July 15, current form is critical, and there was a timely flourish from home world champions over 100 and 200 metres, Christian Coleman and Noah Lyles respectively, both of whom have wildcards to defend their titles in Eugene.
Things are coming together for @__coleman 👏 The defending world champion leads the field to some strong performances: 🥇Coleman - 9.92 🥈Akeem Blake - 9.95 🥉@_BraceYaself - 10.03#ContinentalTourGold pic.twitter.com/8E9UdaI6eH
Coleman had failed to make the top 20 so far this season but found his form as he built on a typically swift start and held on to win in 9.92sec.
He was chased to the line, however, by Jamaica’s 20-year-old rising talent Ackeem Blake, who clocked a personal best of 9.95.
Lyles, who has seen 18-year-old fellow American Erriyon Knighton top this season’s world list with 19.49sec, putting him fourth on the all-time list, won smoothly in 19.61, just 0.11 off his personal best, exclaiming after the line: “It’s fast, official, it’s fast!”
A little earlier home sprinter Aleia Hobbs had lowered her five-year-old personal best to 10.83sec, a meeting record, as she won the women’s 100m from fellow American Sha’Carri Richardson, who closed strongly but had to take second place in 10.85, with fellow compatriot Teahna Daniels third in 10.99.
Richardson returned later in the meeting having made a late request to double up over 200m, and she began celebrating early before crossing the line for victory in 22.38.
Having had to miss last year’s Olympics because of a three-month ban for a positive test for cannabis, Richardson’s spirits are rising ahead of the home World Championships.
"It feels peaceful, fulfilling," Richardson, running in a pink fishnet outfit, said.
"I’m glad I make the fans happy being back.
"I want to continue to thrive - I am the sun, I am the sunshine.
"I want people to know that you can be yourself, if you want to be sexy, if you want to be cute, if you want to express yourself in ways no one has done before, it’s OK."
SHA’CARRI WINS! 🔥@itskerrii speeds to a 22.38 200m victory at the USATF NYC Grand Prix! 🥇#JourneyToGold pic.twitter.com/aDYxpfMcTO
Assisted by a maximum legal wind of 2mps, Alaysha Johnson - currently at the University of Oregon - won the 100m hurdles in 12.40sec, the second fastest run this season behind the 12.37 recorded by Puerto Rico’s Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn.
That took her clear of fellow Americans Tia Jones, who ran a personal best of 12.53, and world indoor bronze medallist Gabrielle Cunningham, who clocked 12.56.
That race was to have been contested by Sydney McLaughlin, but the women’s 400m hurdles Olympic champion and world record holder decided at fairly short notice not to contest it, nor to take part in the other race she had pencilled in, the women’s 400m flat.
In her absence Lynna Irby of the US earned a gun-to-tape win in 51.38sec.
Jesus Lopez of Mexico looked as if he had timed his final run in the men’s 800m perfectly to overhaul the man who had established a 10 metres lead earlier, Isaiah Jewett of the US.
But the Mexican was overtaken himself just before the line by home athlete Bryce Hoppel, who won in 1min 45.07sec.
Lopez was second in 1:45.16 as Jewett dropped to sixth and perennial pacemaker and fellow American Erik Sowinski resisted the temptation to peel away on the back straight to finish third in 1:45.50, punching the air in triumph as he crossed the line, with Rio 2016 bronze medallist Clayton Murphy of the US fourth in 1:45.62.
Victory in the women’s shot went to the victor of last year’s US Olympic trials, Jessica Ramsey, with 18.90 metres, from Jamaica’s Danniel Thomas-Dodd, who threw 18.40m, and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Raven Saunders of the US, whose best was 17.92m.
Panama’s Gianna Woodruff won the women’s 400m hurdles in a meeting record of 54.35sec.
The women’s 800m was won by world indoor champion Ajee Wilson of the US in 2min 00.62sec from compatriot Allie Wilson in 2:00.80.
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Mike Rowbottom, one of Britain's most talented sportswriters, covered the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympics as chief feature writer for insidethegames, having covered the previous five summer Games, and four winter Games, for The Independent. He has worked for the Daily Mail, The Times, The Observer, The Sunday Correspondent and The Guardian.
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For nearly 15 years now, insidethegames.biz has been at the forefront of reporting fearlessly on what happens in the Olympic Movement. As the first website not to be placed behind a paywall, we have made news about the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Commonwealth Games and other major events more accessible than ever to everybody.
insidethegames.biz has established a global reputation for the excellence of its reporting and breadth of its coverage. For many of our readers from more than 200 countries and territories around the world the website is a vital part of their daily lives. The ping of our free daily email alert, sent every morning at 6.30am UK time 365 days a year, landing in their inbox, is as a familiar part of their day as their first cup of coffee.
Even during the worst times of the COVID-19 pandemic, insidethegames.biz maintained its high standard of reporting on all the news from around the globe on a daily basis. We were the first publication in the world to signal the threat that the Olympic Movement faced from the coronavirus and have provided unparalleled coverage of the pandemic since.
As the world begins to emerge from the COVID crisis, insidethegames.biz would like to invite you to help us on our journey by funding our independent journalism. Your vital support would mean we can continue to report so comprehensively on the Olympic Movement and the events that shape it. It would mean we can keep our website open for everyone. Last year, nearly 25 million people read insidethegames.biz, making us by far the biggest source of independent news on what is happening in world sport.
Every contribution, however big or small, will help maintain and improve our worldwide coverage in the year ahead. Our small and dedicated team were extremely busy last year covering the re-arranged Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, an unprecedented logistical challenge that stretched our tight resources to the limit.
The remainder of 2022 is not going to be any less busy, or less challenging. We had the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing, where we sent a team of four reporters, and coming up are the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, the Summer World University and Asian Games in China, the World Games in Alabama and multiple World Championships. Plus, of course, there is the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Unlike many others, insidethegames.biz is available for everyone to read, regardless of what they can afford to pay. We do this because we believe that sport belongs to everybody, and everybody should be able to read information regardless of their financial situation. While others try to benefit financially from information, we are committed to sharing it with as many people as possible. The greater the number of people that can keep up to date with global events, and understand their impact, the more sport will be forced to be transparent.
Support insidethegames.biz for as little as £10 - it only takes a minute. If you can, please consider supporting us with a regular amount each month. Thank you.