By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK (Reuters) -American Brittany Brown surprised herself with the sprint double at New York’s Athlos meet on Friday, as Briton Keely Hodgkinson won the 800 metres to end her injury-dented season on a high.
Brown exploded at the halfway mark and hung on through the final metres to win the shorter sprint in 10.99 seconds, beating compatriot Jacious Sears by just two hundredths of a second, with Kayla White (11.22) third.
The 200m Olympic bronze medallist returned to the track an hour later, dominating the longer sprint with a personal best 21.89, beating compatriot Anavia Battle (22.21) and Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith (22.65).
“I was more shocked at the 100m (win) because that was only my second 100m of the year,” said Brown, who missed several months of training after undergoing laparoscopic surgery in December.
“The 200m, it was more like – that’s my baby – I was still shocked but it was less of a shock.”
The 800m Olympic champion Hodgkinson walloped the field in her signature event, breaking the tape in 1:56.53 in only her sixth race this season, after missing several months of competition due to injury earlier this year.
Fellow Briton and world silver medallist Georgia Hunter Bell took second in 1:58.33, while Saint Vincent’s Shafiqua Maloney (1:58.57) was third.
“I’ve barely raced this season so it was probably less of a struggle for me to go out there and want to give it something,” said Hodgkinson, who finished third at worlds last month.
“The atmosphere out there is crazy so it was really, really fun.”
The women’s-only meet packed Icahn Stadium in its second year, bringing a party atmosphere to traditional track, with live music and Tiffany & Co. crowns replacing traditional winners’ medals.
The 23-times tennis major winner Serena Williams, who is married to Athlos founder Alexis Ohanian, was on hand to present the winners with their crowns, adding A-list lustre to the event.
The meet also attracted some of the sport’s biggest names, as Kenya’s three-time Olympic gold medallist and world record-holder Faith Kipyegon ran a superb technical performance to win the mile, crossing the finish in 4:17.78.
She finished nearly two seconds faster than Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay, while American Nikki Hiltz was third in 4:32.51.
Olympic champion Masai Russell wrested the lead with two barriers to go to win the 100m hurdles in 12.52, ending her season on a positive note after a disappointing fourth-place finish at worlds last month in Tokyo.
Her American compatriot Grace Stark, who took bronze at worlds, finished second in 12.60, while Alaysha Johnson (12.66) was third.
The gold medallist at the Paris Games Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic broke away down the final straight to win the 400m in 50.07, while the reigning Olympic and world champion Tara Davis-Woodhall won the long jump with 7.13 metres.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York)
Comments