ATLETISMO
Brazier y Ali inician la gira mundial de atletismo con victorias dominantes en Boston
Brazier, el campeón mundial en los 800m, dominó los 600m masculinos. En el evento final de la noche, Brazier atravesó 400m en 49.62, y arrasó el campo para ganar en un récord de reunión de 1: 14.39. Brazier, que posee el mejor campeonato mundial de interior para los 600 metros con su 1: 13.77 del Campeonato de interior de EE. UU. Del año pasado, ganó por casi seis segundos a Michael Stigler.
«Se siente genial», dijo Brazier, quien estaba disputando su primera carrera desde el Campeonato Mundial. “Esta es mi tradición hasta ahora siendo profesional. He corrido en el Reggie Lewis Center cuatro años seguidos y he salido con cuatro victorias seguidas, así que bien podría seguir regresando ”.
Ali comenzó su temporada bajo techo justo donde la dejó, ganando los 60m de obstáculos en 7.94. La campeona mundial de obstáculos de 100 metros se alejó sobre la barrera final para vencer a la medallista de plata mundial en interiores Christina Clemons, quien terminó en 7.98.
“It means a lot to start off the season here,” said Ali after running her fastest 60m hurdles time since winning the 2016 world indoor title. “My family is able to get down and see me and I appreciate that. Especially being from the East coast. I know the crowd is always good to me, so I love it.”
In the women’s 1500m, Jessica Hull of Australia sat on the shoulder of Konstanze Klosterhalfen for 1450m before bursting to the front in the final straight to win in 4:04.14, taking more than two seconds off the Oceanian indoor record.
Klosterhalfen, the German athlete coming off a bronze medal in the 5000m at the World Championship in Doha, finished second in 4:04.38. Ciara Mageean finished third in 4:06.42 to break her own Irish indoor record.
In his first indoor race as a professional, Bryce Hoppel, who did not lose a race collegiately last year, nipped Jake Wightman at the line to win the 1000m in 2:17.41. Wightman, who set a British indoor record of 2:17.51, led going into the final lap, but Hoppel clocked a 27.1 final circuit pick up the win.
World indoor bronze medallist Bethwell Birgen of Kenya won a duel over Edward Cheserek, who announced this week he would be competing internationally for Kenya, in the 3000m. After the pacemaker stepped off the track with just over 1000m to go, Cheserek and Birgen traded the lead before Birgen unleashed a stunning final 300m, closing his last lap in 26.33 to take the win over Cheserek, 7:44.21 to 7:46.74.
In the women’s two miles, Elinor Purrier buried the competition over the final lap to win in 9:29.19 as 2017 world steeplechase champion, Emma Coburn, finished third.
Gabby Thomas blitzed a 36.52 to win the 300m. Thomas, a graduate of Harvard University, won the first heat by a wide margin and held on for the win after Shamier Little beat out Kendall Ellis in the second heat, 37.07 to 37.36.
“It was really great to compete at home, here in Boston,” Thomas said. “Especially this being my first year out of college and having that energy around me, it’s a really an amazing feeling.”
Chris O’Hare of Great Britain held off a hard-charging Nick Willis in the men’s mile, winning 3:59.62 to 3:59.89.
Demek Kemp won the 60m in 6.50, taking 0.05 off his personal best. Trayvon Bromell, running the 60m for the first time since winning the 2016 world indoor title at the distance, finished seventh in 6.84. Obi Igbokwe, a senior at the University of Houston, won the men’s 400m in 46.50.
In the field events, Pablo Torrijos of Spain kept his cool after four successive fouls in the men’s triple jump, eventually sailing out to 16.75m in the fifth round to seal the victory. Amina Smith of the US cleared 1.89m to win the women’s high jump.
The World Athletics Indoor Tour will next head to Karlsruhe, Germany, on 31 January, when athletes will continue to chase tour ranking points as well as wildcards for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 2020.
Liam Boylan-Pett for World Athletics
