New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on Saturday features Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Laura Muir, Noah Lyles, Shericka Jackson, Grant Holloway and many more
It’s hard to pick a highlight as many of the world’s top athletes descend on Boston for the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on Saturday (February 4).
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Shericka Jackson, the reigning world champions in the 400m hurdles and 200m respectively, square off over 60m. But look out too for Aleia Hobbs, who ran a world lead of 6.98 in Fayetteville last weekend, plus world indoor silver medallist Mikiah Brisco.
The men’s 60m is similarly stacked with world 200m champion Noah Lyles versus world indoor silver medallist Marvin Bracy-Williams and 2016 world indoor champion Trayvon Bromell.
Femke Bol (Getty)
Femke Bol competes for the first time in the meeting as the Dutch athlete, who won European titles in the 400m hurdles, 400m and 4x400m last summer, tackles the 500m. The world record incidentally is 66.31 held by Olesya Krasnomovets-Forsheva of Russia from 2006 as Bol faces Lisanne De Witte, Kendall Ellis and Janieve Russell in Boston.
Grant Holloway and Trey Cunningham, the World Championships gold and silver medallists in the 110m hurdles last year, go head to head in the 60m hurdles. Holloway is also the world indoor record-holder and world indoor champion.
Grant Holloway and Trey Cunningham (Kevin Morris)
Laura Muir and Ciara Mageean, the one-two in the European and Commonwealth 1500m finals last summer, compete over 3000m in Boston.
Fresh from his US indoor 5000m record of 12:51.61 at the Boston University track a few days ago, Woody Kincaid has entered the 3000m.
In the field Katie Moon (née Nageotte) and Katerina Stefanidi – the two most recent Olympic champions in the women’s pole vault – lead the line up.
Mariano García of Spain and Bryce Hoppel of the United States – the world indoor 800m gold and bronze medallists from 2022 – will face each other again. They also raced each other at this event 12 months ago with García winning in a Spanish record of 1:45.12.
Mariano Garcia (Kevin Morris)
Local Boston athlete Gabby Thomas faces Jenna Prandini among others in the women’s 300m.
World 1500m champion Jake Wightman has withdrawn after injuring his foot during a plyometrics session in South Africa but there are still plenty of Brits in action.
Joining Muir in the 3000m, for example, are Izzy Fry, Hannah Nuttall, Adelle Tracey and Holly Archer.
Ellie Baker, Lynsey Sharp and Issy Boffey go in a women’s 800m line up led by American Ajee’ Wilson.
Issy Boffey (Mark Shearman)
Neil Gourley, Charlie Grice and Tom Keen feature in the men’s mile, while Osian Perrin and James West are in the men’s 3000m.
Other Brits include Cindy Sember in the 60m hurdles, Alex Haydock-Wilson in the 400m, Jemma Reekie in the mile, Dan Rowden and Kyle Langford in the 800m,
After temporarily relocating to Staten Island due to Covid, the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix will make its debut at its new home, “the TRACK at new balance”, a new indoor facility at the shoe company’s world headquarters.
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