Reigning World champion in the 400m hurdles and world record holder Sydney Mclaughlin lost on the track for the first in over 12 months when she ran 7.33 over the 60m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, Massachusetts, USA on Saturday evening.
The American who was crowned 2022 World Athletics Athlete of the year (women) made her debut in the 60m event at the Boston event but failed to make it out of the first semifinal heat as her 7.33 run, albeit a personal best could not get her both among the three automatic qualifiers and the fastest losers slots.
Mclaughlin’s heat was won by another American, Aleia Hobbs who ran 7.08 ahead of two other Americans, Celera Barnes (7.21) and Kiara Parker (7.22) with yet another American and 2016 World U20 100m champion, Candace Hill taking the non-automatic slot with her 7.25 run.
Another reigning world champion, Shericka Jackson of Jamaica also failed to make it to the final of the event as her 7.34 run ensured she finished fifth in her semifinal heat with the American trio of Mikiah Brisco (7.15), Kayla White (7.21) and melissa Jefferspn (7.25) taking the automatic qualifying slots while Anthonique Strachan of the Bahamas got the remaining non-automatic qualifying spot.
Hobbs who ran 6.98 last week at the Razorback Invitational at the Randal Tyson Indoor Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas to become the 13th women to run inside 7 seconds in the event won in Boston (7.02) with Brisco who has also broken 7 seconds in the event and Barnes coming second (7.10) and third (7.21) respectively.
In the men’s 60m, world 200m champion, Noah Lyles ran a 6.51 personal best to share the first position with Trayvon Bromell (6.51) while Ghana’s Benjamin Azamati ran a personal season’s best (6.62) to place third.
