Devon Allen ran the third-fastest time in history in the 110m hurdles, while&nbsp;Noah Lyles claimed an impressive 200m victory and Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson contested a 100m and 200m double at the USATF New York Grand Prix on Sunday (12).
While showers were in the forecast, the rain held off and the sun peeked through the clouds at Icahn Stadium on Randall&rsquo;s Island in New York.
On the same track where Usain Bolt set his first 100m world record in 2008, Allen nearly joined him in the record books.&nbsp;
The two-time Olympian kicked off the elite portion of the meeting, a new stop on the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series, by clocking a world-leading 12.84. Allen, who is known for the way he closes races, overtook reigning world champion Grant Holloway at the ninth hurdle and continued to separate from the field in the final metres.
Holloway, the Olympic silver medallist running only his second hurdles race of the season, was second in 13.06 and Daniel Roberts, the third member of the USA Olympic team in Tokyo, was third in 13.17.&nbsp;
Only world record-holder Aries Merritt (12.80) and Holloway (12.81) have run faster than Allen, who was fourth at the Tokyo Olympics.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I thought I was going to break the world record today, so we&rsquo;ll have to wait for another race,&rdquo; he said.
Allen, who will play professional American football for the Philadelphia Eagles later this year, attributed his fast time to &ldquo;fresh legs.&rdquo; He had been training hard in both sports, then came down with Covid-19 two weeks ago.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was good for me to get off my feet for seven to 10 days,&rdquo; Allen said. &ldquo;My legs are fresh, I feel good, and now I can start training and getting better for USAs and World Championships.&rdquo;
Holloway, who has a bye for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 next month, said he will &ldquo;go back to the drawing board. You&rsquo;ve got to up your game. It&rsquo;s going to be a fast year.&rdquo; 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
Just a casual historic run for <a href="https://twitter.com/DevonAllen13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DevonAllen13</a>. No biggie. <a href="https://t.co/gCZCcDb6y5">pic.twitter.com/gCZCcDb6y5</a>
&mdash; Continental Tour Gold (@ContiTourGold) <a href="https://twitter.com/ContiTourGold/status/1536123670904639488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
 The New York Grand Prix was a tune-up for many US athletes before their national championships, which begin 23 June, also in Oregon.
Richardson was the only elite athlete to double up at the meeting and placed second in the 100m to Aleia Hobbs, who had to run a PB to beat her, 10.83 to 10.85. Those times put them fourth and fifth on this season's world list.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I feel phenomenal,&rdquo; said Richardson, whose long, blond hair flowed behind her and who wore a fuchsia outfit with fishnet on her arms and legs. &ldquo;This is only my third 100m of the season. One of the people I idolise the most got first, Aleia Hobbs &mdash; I love her. If anybody was to beat me, I would definitely want it to be Aleia.&rdquo; 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/62a67d30363a4f987a5b99b0.jpeg" alt="Winner Aleia Hobbs, Sha'Carri Richardson and Cambrea Sturgis in the 100m at the New York Grand Prix" />
Winner Aleia Hobbs, Sha'Carri Richardson and Cambrea Sturgis in the 100m at the New York Grand Prix (&copy; Kevin Morris)
</div>
Nobody beat Richardson in the 200m, where she posted a time of 22.38, well ahead of Tamara Clark in second in 22.62 and Tynia Gaither in 22.66.
Richardson had planned to run only the 100m, then claimed the spot vacated by Gabby Thomas in the 200m.
&ldquo;It was an amazing race,&rdquo; said Richardson, who threw up her arms with a huge smile on her face as she crossed the finish line. &ldquo;I actually last-minute got into this race because I want to double at nationals and I didn&rsquo;t have a time, so I was like, &lsquo;I need to put a time out there.&rsquo; I just wanted to complete the race, execute the best that I could and see what that got me.&rsquo;&rdquo;
She got the loudest cheers at the meeting and had the biggest fan club, young girls who screamed whenever they saw her and clamored for autographs and photos. Richardson obliged. Many of the girls competed in the public portion of the meeting.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re the next generation,&rdquo; Richardson said. &ldquo;I just want them to know, do it in their way. Don&rsquo;t let limitations of the world stop you. Because the world has its own flaws. Don&rsquo;t let anybody stop you&hellip; from shining because you are sunshine, we are the light.&rdquo;
Her outfit, Richardson said, reflected &ldquo;me always standing out, no matter my performance.&rdquo;
Thomas, who had expected to double, announced Saturday that she had to pull out of the meeting. &ldquo;I did something funny to my leg during a sprint, met with my medical team,&rdquo; she said on social media, &ldquo;and they decided that it&rsquo;s not worth the risk with US nationals being just two weeks away.&rdquo;
Christian Coleman ran a season's best of 9.92 in the men&rsquo;s 100m, slipping under 10 seconds for the first time since 2019 when he was world champion. Last season Coleman could not compete because he was serving a suspension and he said he is re-learning &ldquo;the art of sprinting.&rdquo;
Coleman finished strong to hold off Ackeem Blake of Jamaica, who posted a PB of 9.95, and Marvin Bracy, who ran a season's best 10.03.
&ldquo;The whole goal today was to try to execute a much better race than my last one,&rdquo; said Coleman, who was third in late May at the Prefontaine Classic, a Diamond League meeting, in 10.04.
He did just that, especially in the second half of his race. Compared to 2019, Coleman said: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m the same guy. I feel like it&rsquo;s there. I just feel like when you have a long layoff, obviously it&rsquo;s going to affect you in some kind of way, so this whole season to me is a learning experience. I&rsquo;m just trying to get better and better. I feel like that same guy is still in me.&rdquo;
He just has to show it. &ldquo;I need all the races I can get,&rdquo; Coleman said.&nbsp;
Lyles has decided that he will concentrate on the 200m, the distance at which he is defending world champion, and will not double in the 100m at the US Championships. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of come to a point now, &lsquo;Hey, I&rsquo;d rather grab a gold than two silvers at the World Championships,&rdquo; he said at the pre-meeting press conference.
With that focus, he clocked 19.61, 0.11 off his PB and a whopping 0.41 ahead of the rest of the field. Kyree King turned in a PB of 20.02 to place second, while Brandon Carnes had a PB of 20.07 for third. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/62a6750682424a6524b9ab07.jpeg" alt="Noah Lyles wins the 200m at the New York Grand Prix" />
Noah Lyles wins the 200m at the New York Grand Prix (&copy; Kevin Morris)
</div>
"I&rsquo;m proud of it,&rdquo; Lyles said. &ldquo;I wanted it faster. I wanted to see 19.5, but I&rsquo;ll take 19.61. It&rsquo;s right next door.&rdquo;
He has worked on the first 30 metres of his race and said" &ldquo;It&rsquo;s working. I&rsquo;ve just got to start feeling more comfortable.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s also uncomfortable being the No.2 USA runner in the 200m this year behind 18-year-old phenom Erriyon Knighton, who has the world-leading time of 19.49.
&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t felt this since towards the beginning of high school,&rdquo; said Lyles, who has lost only twice in the 200m &mdash; at a Diamond League meeting in Rome in 2019 to Michael Norman and in the Tokyo Olympics, when Andre De Grasse and Kenny Bednarek beat him. &ldquo;When it&rsquo;s time to line up, I&rsquo;m going to have it. I know it automatically. I&rsquo;m always going to be ready.&rdquo;
Unfortunately, Sydney McLaughlin was a late withdrawal from the meeting. The Olympic gold medallist and world record-holder ran a sizzling 51.61 in the 400m hurdles a week ago (5) and was slated to run the 100m hurdles and flat 400m in New York. The schedule was even adjusted to accommodate her. But McLaughlin pulled out of the 100m hurdles before the meeting began and announced she had scratched from the 400m just minutes before the race was supposed to get underway.
She said her coach, Bob Kersee, &ldquo;decided to pull me this close to trials.&rdquo; McLaughlin was second at the 2019 World Championships, so she does not have a bye. She has raced only twice this season, winning the 100m hurdles at the Penn Relays and then the 400m hurdles last week in Nashville.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think last week was a good testament of where we&rsquo;re at,&rdquo; McLaughlin said, &ldquo;and I think that&rsquo;s why he decided to shut it down. We want to focus on the things that matter most, which is trials and Worlds and practice has been going great so I think it&rsquo;s keeping us right on pace.&rdquo;
However, even McLaughlin wondered how fast she could have run the 400m. She ran one 400m last year, but allowed that &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t really raced since college, so I was just as curious as you were. Hopefully I&rsquo;ll get another chance this season to do it.&rdquo;
In other races, Alaysha Johnson ran a PB of 12.40 in the 100m hurdles, breaking Michelle Perry&rsquo;s meeting record that had stood since 2005. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/62a6a216b21b08f9482af435.jpg" alt="Alaysha Johnson celebrates her 100m hurdles win in New York" />
Alaysha Johnson celebrates her 100m hurdles win in New York (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
"I was really nervous; I was shaking in the blocks,&rdquo; Johnson said.&nbsp;
She said she didn&rsquo;t have the best start, &ldquo;but it just came together. I had no idea I was running fast.&rdquo;
Johnson added that she hopes to do well at the US Championships and &ldquo;get a contract, and get some money, because that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re doing this for.&rdquo;
World indoor champion Ajee&rsquo; Wilson won the women&rsquo;s 800m in 2:00:62 in windy conditions. Wilson said she&rsquo;s getting back to the fitness she had in 2019 and 2017, when she won world outdoor bronze medals. &ldquo;I think confidence-wise I&rsquo;m there,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;
Bryce Hoppel won the men&rsquo;s 800m, clocking a season's best 1:45.07 to sprint away from Jesus Tonatiu Lopez of Mexico in 1:45.16. Hoppel almost waited too late to make his move.
&ldquo;When Tonatiu went on my right on the outside on that last turn, I was like, &lsquo;I better go with him,&rsquo;&rdquo; Hoppel said. &ldquo;I think I have enough to do it.&rdquo;
Tyler Terry won the men&rsquo;s 400m in 45.70 and Lynna Irby took the women&rsquo;s race with a time of 51.38.
Gianna Woodruff of Panama ran a season's best of 54.35 in the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles and Quincy Hall captured the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles in 48.75, finishing well ahead of Amere Lattin in 49.67.
In the only field events, Jessica Ramsey claimed the women&rsquo;s shot put title with a throw of 18.90m and Donald Scott leaped 16.81m in the men&rsquo;s triple jump, closely followed by Will Claye in his season opener at 16.75m.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a win,&rdquo; Scott said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll take it.&rdquo;
Karen Rosen for World Athletics

Devon Allen clocks 12.84 to move to third on the world 110m hurdles all-time list.

Allen pips Holloway and advances to No.3 all time in New York

Sprinter Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson and discus thrower Valarie Allman won their respective events on the second day of action at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene on Saturday (19), booking their spots at what will be their first Olympic Games.
The 100m sprinters had to contend with changing winds throughout Saturday&rsquo;s session. The breeze was on the athletes&rsquo; backs during the semi-finals, carrying Richardson to a swift 10.64 (2.6m/s) as she won her heat by 0.2 from Teahna Daniels. World Indoor Tour winner Javianne Oliver, Richardson&rsquo;s training partner, won the other semifinal in a wind-assisted 10.83 (2.5m/s).
By the time of the final just under two hours later, the wind was blowing in the other direction. But despite the -1.0m/s headwind, Richardson was a clear winner in 10.86 from Oliver (10.99) and Daniels (11.03).
After the race, Richardson headed over to the stands and celebrated with her grandmother. &ldquo;My grandmother embracing me is honestly great,&rdquo; said Richardson. &ldquo;She was always in my corner. She is my heart. She is my super woman. Being able to cross the finish line and run up the steps felt amazing after becoming an Olympian.&rdquo;
Allman, like Richardson, was one of the other big favourites heading into the US Trials. She set out her stall in the qualifying round on Friday, throwing a meeting record of 70.01m &ndash; just 14 centimetres shy of the US record she set earlier this year. She came close to matching that in the final on Saturday, opening with 69.45m before improving to 69.92m in round two.
She rounded out her series with throws of 66.36m, 68.65m and 68.46m, sending a clear signal to her overseas opponents that she&rsquo;ll be a force at the Olympics later this year. Micaela Hazlewood threw a PB of 62.54m to take second place, but she&rsquo;ll have to wait and see if she&rsquo;ll qualify through the world rankings. Third-placed Rachel Dincoff (60.21m) is in possession of a qualifying mark and so will be able to take up her place on the US team.
<h2>Scantling leads decathlon</h2>
Garrett Scantling has enjoyed one of his best ever starts to a decathlon and leads at the half-way stage with 4494 &ndash; almost 100 points up on his day-one score from earlier this year when he set his PB of 8476.
But in a high-quality and competitive contest, Kyle Garland (4424) and 2016 Olympian Zach Ziemek (4409) are close behind, setting up a potentially exciting finish for the second day of decathlon action.
Scantling started with a 100m PB of 10.53 and followed it with a wind-assisted 7.61m leap in the long jump, after which he took the lead. He maintained his position after winning the shot put with 15.91m, but dropped to third in the standings after the high jump as Garland (2.17m) and Ziemeck (2.14m) produced the best marks of that discipline and so moved up in the standings.
But Scantling produced a 48.86 run in the 400m, comfortably ahead of Garland (51.58) and Ziemek (50.89) to regain the lead at the end of the first day.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson and discus thrower Valarie Allman won their respective events on the second day of action at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene on Saturday (19), booking their spots at what will be their first Olympic Games.

Richardson and Allman live up to expectations in Eugene

Dina Asher-Smith and Sha'Carri Richardson will meet in the 200m, while a 400m hurdles field featuring Dalilah Muhammad and Femke Bol has been announced for the Bauhaus-Galan, a Wanda Diamond League meeting, in Stockholm on 4 July.
Britain&rsquo;s world 200m champion Asher-Smith ran 22.06 in her second 200m race of the season at the Diamond League in Florence, while the USA&rsquo;s Richardson opened with a time of 22.11 in Florida in April, and they will go head-to-head in Stockholm following their 100m clash in Gateshead where Asher-Smith claimed the win in wet and windy conditions &ndash; 11.35 to 11.44.
Bol broke the Dutch 400m hurdles record with 53.44 in Florence, a time which puts her third on this season&rsquo;s world rankings behind Sydney McLaughlin and Shamier Little. The 21-year-old will be looking to build on that as she goes up against world record-holder Muhammad, two-time world champion Zuzana Hejnova and European champion Lea Sprunger in Stockholm.
The women&rsquo;s long jump field also looks set to be strong, with home favourite Khaddi Sagnia taking on world champion Malaika Mihambo, world indoor champion Ivana Spanovic and world silver medallist Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk.
The women&rsquo;s high jump so far features world champion Mariya Lasitskene and world silver medallist Yaroslava Mahuchikh plus Sweden&rsquo;s Erika Kinsey and Erika Kinsey, while in the shot put Valerie Adams and Fanny Roos have been announced.
Joining Sweden&rsquo;s already-announced world record-holder Mondo Duplantis in the pole vault will be Sam Kendricks, Renaud Lavillenie, Piotr Lisek, KC Lightfoot and Chris Nilsen, while the discus is set to include Simon Pettersson, Daniel Stahl, Fedrick Dacres and Lukas Weisshaidinger.
World Athletics

Dina Asher-Smith and Sha'Carri Richardson will meet in the 200m, while a 400m hurdles field featuring Dalilah Muhammad and Femke Bol has been announced for the Bauhaus-Galan, a Wanda Diamond League meeting, in Stockholm on 4 July.

Top head-to-heads set for Stockholm

Dina Asher-Smith and Sha'Carri Richardson will meet in the 200m, while a 400m hurdles field featuring Dalilah Muhammad and Femke Bol has been announced for the Bauhaus-Galan, a&nbsp;Wanda Diamond League&nbsp;meeting, in Stockholm on 4 July.
Britain&rsquo;s world 200m champion Asher-Smith ran 22.06 in her second 200m race of the season at the Diamond League in Florence, while the USA&rsquo;s Richardson opened with a time of 22.11 in Florida in April, and they will go head-to-head in Stockholm following their 100m clash in Gateshead where Asher-Smith claimed the win in wet and windy conditions &ndash; 11.35 to 11.44.
Bol broke the Dutch 400m hurdles record with 53.44 in Florence, a time which puts her third on this season&rsquo;s world rankings behind Sydney McLaughlin and Shamier Little. The 21-year-old will be looking to build on that as she goes up against world record-holder Muhammad, two-time world champion Zuzana Hejnova and European champion Lea Sprunger in Stockholm.
The women&rsquo;s long jump field also looks set to be strong, with home favourite Khaddi Sagnia taking on world champion Malaika Mihambo, world indoor champion Ivana Spanovic and world silver medallist Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk.
The women&rsquo;s high jump so far features world champion Mariya Lasitskene and world silver medallist Yaroslava Mahuchikh plus Sweden&rsquo;s Erika Kinsey and Erika Kinsey, while in the shot put Valerie Adams and Fanny Roos have been announced.
Joining Sweden&rsquo;s already-announced world record-holder Mondo Duplantis in the pole vault will be Sam Kendricks, Renaud Lavillenie, Piotr Lisek, KC Lightfoot and Chris Nilsen, while the discus is set to include Simon Pettersson, Daniel Stahl, Fedrick Dacres and Lukas Weisshaidinger.
World Athletics

There might be a new kid &ndash; make that new sensation &ndash; on the European block in the showpiece event of the 2021 Wanda Diamond League season opener at Gateshead on Sunday (23), but there was a warning for Sha'Carri Richardson today from the British rival who is relishing the prospect of lining up for the women&rsquo;s 100m with the &ldquo;funky world champion&rdquo; legend pinned on her vest on home ground for the first time.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m much, much stronger,&rdquo; revealed world 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith at the eve of competition press conference for the Muller Grand Prix.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve just had so much more time to work and I&rsquo;m much stronger physically now, much more technically proficient. I&rsquo;ve been doing things that my coach has been hoping I could do for many years.
&ldquo;Hopefully I&rsquo;ll be able to do them off the bat, but with me things tend to come together at the champs. So it&rsquo;s going to be a very exciting summer.&rdquo; 
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 Everything came together nicely for Asher-Smith at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, in the form of a silver medal in the 100m in a national record 10.83 and then a gold in the 200m, also in a British record of 21.88.
So if an even stronger version of the 25-year-old can make her presence felt in the north-east of England tomorrow, then Richardson might not have it all her own way in the locked and loaded taster of what might be to come in the Olympic women&rsquo;s 100m final in Tokyo, 5,766 miles and 10 weeks away.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve only just stopped doing over 300 abdominal exercises a day in training in the last week or two,&rdquo; revealed Asher-Smith, who last week opened her season with a 200m win in 22.56 in Savona, Italy.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been an incredibly hard winter. I&rsquo;m so excited to be racing because it&rsquo;s a respite from training.&rdquo;
Some respite.
In Richardson, the 21-year-old Texan who has been tearing up the US tracks with sizzling early season clockings of 10.72, 10.74 and 10.77, Asher-Smith faces a sprint phenomenon hailed in one British newspaper headline yesterday as the &lsquo;biggest since Bolt.&rsquo;
Having taken her bow on the European circuit with a comfortable 22.35 win in the chill of Ostrava on Wednesday, Richardson tests her considerable credentials against not just the strength of Asher-Smith but that of the other two medal winners from the 100m final in Doha: Jamaica&rsquo;s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a three-time world champion at the distance, and bronze medallist Marie-Josee Ta Lou of Ivory Coast.
It very much has the feel of the 1993 sprint showdown, originally mooted for Las Vegas but staged at Gateshead with an extra stand imported from the Silverstone motor racing circuit, between Linford Christie and the US speed merchant who preceded the Briton as Olympic 100m champion, Carl Lewis.
Christie prevailed in 10.08, breaking Allan Wells&rsquo; 14-year-old track record, with Lewis a distant third in 10.22. A month later the Briton took Lewis&rsquo; world title in Stuttgart.
Asher-Smith boasts an unbeaten record on the Gateshead track, having won her 200m heat and final at the English Schools&rsquo; Championships in 2011. Ten years on, the history graduate refuses to be phased by the enormity of the senior test facing her in what could be cold and damp conditions.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a stacked race,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very fortunate to be part of a cohort of incredibly talented women.
&ldquo;This is the start of the Diamond League season and I think it&rsquo;s the start of a match up that&rsquo;s going to be replicated in a number of different Diamond League races.
&ldquo;I saw Sha'Carri&rsquo;s race at Mt SAC (where Richardson ran 10.74 into a -1.1m/s headwind in the heats and 10.77 into a -1.2m/s headwind in the final) and technically it was a very nice bit of sprinting to watch. It&rsquo;s nice to see someone put everything together in such a technical way but I have to always back myself as well." 
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 Speaking at a later press conference, Richardson confirmed that she intended to tackle both the 100m and 200m at the US trials next month.
&ldquo;For us, the trials is a mini-Olympics in itself,&rdquo; she said.
Richardson&rsquo;s last 100m defeat dates back to her eighth-place finish in the final of the 2019 US Championships, and since then she has racked up 10 wins at the distance.
&ldquo;Every time I step on the track I&rsquo;m trying to do something I haven&rsquo;t done before,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;The expectation is nothing new to me, I just have to block it out, remember my craft and every time I step on the track execute in the best way I can. If I win, that&rsquo;s the bonus.&rdquo;
As for being hailed as a new Bolt, Richardson reflected: &ldquo;Well, I haven&rsquo;t seen that but when I do see that I&rsquo;m definitely going to still be shocked &ndash; even though I do these things and it&rsquo;s my time.
&ldquo;I guess I&rsquo;m as shocked as much as you guys (the media) when I step on the track and do the things that I do. But to hear things like that just shows that people see not only potential in me but they see greatness in me.&rdquo;
Sitting along from Richardson, her former Louisiana State University track and field team colleague Mondo Duplantis nodded in agreement. At 21, the Swede has already proven his greatness as the pole vaulter who has soared highest in history.
That came on his last appearance in Britain, his 6.18m clearance indoors in Glasgow in February 2020. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the best performance so far in my career, so when I step back in the UK it&rsquo;s a pretty good feeling,&rdquo; said the world silver medallist, who will be seeking his first 6 metre clearance of the outdoor season when he faces fellow Doha medal winners Sam Kendricks and Piotr Lisek.
The men&rsquo;s 1500m features another stellar young Nordic star in the track and field firmament: Norway&rsquo;s Jakob Ingebrigtsen. The double European indoor and outdoor champion will be making his season debut against the in-form Australians Ollie Hoare and Stewart McSweyn. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s cool to see the Australians are doing so well and running as fast as they are,&rdquo; acknowledged the 20-year-old, who has yet to decide whether to attempt an Olympic 1500m-5000m double.
Britain&rsquo;s Laura Muir remains unsure whether she has the 800m as well as the 1500m in her sights for Tokyo. Back on home soil after a long spell of training and early-season racing in the US, the double world indoor medallist could trouble Christina Boxer&rsquo;s ancient (1984) 1500m track record of 4:00.57.
&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t rule it off the cards,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll see what the weather is like but I feel like I&rsquo;m in good shape.
&ldquo;I think I&rsquo;m in PB shape. I&rsquo;ve been running a few PB sessions. My PB is 3:55.22, so if I can get close to that, or better, that would be fantastic.
&ldquo;I think that&rsquo;s certainly the ballpark that I&rsquo;m in at the moment.&rdquo;
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics

Some of the world's best athletes look ahead to the series opener at the Muller Grand Prix

Duplantis, Richardson and Ingebrigtsen get set for strong Diamond League start in Gateshead

It just so happens that the last piece of international track and field action at the International Stadium in Gateshead was a 1.98m clearance that secured a personal best and a victory in the final event to be decided at the 2013 European Team Championships for the emerging young high jumper Mariya Kuchina.
Eight years on from that breakthrough senior performance &ndash; which came indoors after thunder, lightning and flash flooding rendered the outdoor field section too dangerous &ndash; the global queen of the high jump, now three-time world outdoor champion Mariya Lasitskene, takes part in the first event on the programme of the 2021 Wanda Diamond League opener at Gateshead on Sunday (23).
An uncertain mixed picture of sunshine and showers is forecast for the Muller Grand Prix Gateshead but the famous arena in the north-east of England will be flooded with stellar talent, with a cast featuring 10 reigning world or Olympic champions and a combined cache of more than 100 global medals.
Top billing, undoubtedly, has to go to the not so much loaded as overflowing women&rsquo;s 100m. Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson, the trailblazing 21-year-old US sprint phenomenon who scorched to a 10.72 clocking in Florida in April, tests her rapidly rising pedigree against all three medal winners from the 2019 World Championships final in Doha. 
<div id="60986b51135c0c103803aa95" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/8701b456-d14d-4e1f-b107-0f6c6cd1c261.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Sha'Carri Richardson wins the 100m at the USATF Golden Games at Mt SAC</div>
&nbsp;
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the Jamaican Peter Pan Pocket Rocket of the women&rsquo;s sprint game, was within 0.01 of her lifetime best with a 10.71 clocking that secured her fourth world 100m title in the Qatari capital. Silver medal winning Briton Dina Asher-Smith, who went on to take 200m gold, and bronze medallist Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou are also on the start list for the heats, although Jamaica&rsquo;s Olympic 100m and 200m champion Elaine Thompson-Herah has withdrawn because of injury.
Two weeks on from her heat and final sub-10.80 clockings in the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Walnut, and on the back of her winning European circuit debut over 200m in Ostrava on Wednesday, Richardson has the chance that was denied her in 2019 when she failed to qualify for the US team for Doha. Since her eighth-placed finish at the US Championships final in Des Moines, the world U20 record-holder has won 10 successive 100m races (heats and finals).
Fraser-Pryce, now 34, is on a winning streak of seven 100m races, dating back to the Diamond League final in Brussels which preceded the 2019 World Athletics Championships, when she finished runner-up to Asher-Smith. Both Fraser-Pryce and Asher-Smith have yet to race over 100m in 2021, but have posted 200m times of 22.60 and 22.56 respectively.
Something will have to give.
Richardson proclaimed after her 10.74 and 10.77 clockings on the Mt SAC track in Walnut: &ldquo;Every time I step on the track I want to make history.&rdquo; She might need to run the fastest women&rsquo;s 100m in Gateshead history to maintain her winning run. Weather permitting, the 10.93 stadium record could well be eclipsed.
For Richardson, a comfortable 200m winner in 22.35 in Ostrava, it will be a first Diamond League test outside the United States. In 2019 she finished fourth in the 100m at the Prefontaine Classic in Stanford, clocking 11.15 in a race won by Ta Lou in 11.02, with Fraser-Pryce a distant eighth in 11.39. She also placed third in a high school girls&rsquo; 200m that preceded the Diamond League programme in Eugene in 2017.
At 21, Mondo Duplantis already seems like a Diamond League veteran, with eight meet victories to his name. The Swede extended his unbeaten record to a 23rd competition with his 5.90m clearance in Ostrava, confessing to feeling rusty in his season&rsquo;s opener.
The 6.18m world record-holder will be seeking to return to six-metre-plus form in Gateshead, where he will again be up against Sam Kendricks, the US rival who inflicted his last defeat, in the 2019 world final. Bronze medal winning Pole Piotr Lisek completes a rematch of the podium trio from Doha.
Lasitskene is another star performer on a long-term winning streak. The 28-year-old is unbeaten in 14 competitions dating back to September 2019 and her third-placed finish in the Europe v USA match in Minsk. 
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Mariya Lasitskene tops 2.04m in London</div>
&nbsp;
In her first outdoor test of 2021, however, she faces Yaroslava Mahuchikh, the 19-year-old Ukrainian who cleared a world U20 record of 2.04m in losing to her on countback in the epic 2019 world final. The fourth and fifth placers from Doha are also in the field: Mahuchikh&rsquo;s compatriot Yulia Levchenko and Kamila Licwinko of Poland.
European record-holder Jakob Ingebritsen faces the rising Australian duo Ollie Hoare and Stewart McSweyn in a 1500m race that also includes Adam Ali Musab, the Qatari who ran a world-leading 3:32.41 in Doha back in February.
Fresh from a 19.93 (-0.6m/s) victory in Ostrava, Kenny Bednarek lines up against four of the first six finishers from the world 200m final two years ago. Canada&rsquo;s Andre de Grasse (third in Ostrava) and Ecuador&rsquo;s Alex Quinonez picked up silver and bronze behind Bednarek&rsquo;s US rival Noah Lyles in Doha, while Briton Adam Gemili and Canada&rsquo;s Aaron Brown placed fourth and sixth.
The 3000m steeplechase features the three fastest men on the 2020 world list. Soufiane El Bakkali, the Moroccan who took bronze and silver in the last two world finals, Kenyan Leonard Bett and France&rsquo;s Djilali Bedrani will all be making their 2021 debuts over the barriers.
Nicholas Kimeli, one of the fastest men in the world last year over 5000m and 10,000m, will take on fellow Kenyans Jacob Krop and Michael Kibet in the 5000m. If the race is tactical, watch out too for in-form Spaniard Mohamed Katir. Australia&rsquo;s David McNeil, Spain&rsquo;s Adel Mechaal and Britain&rsquo;s Andy Butchart should also be in contention.
Four weeks on from her solo 4:01.54 victory at the USATF Grand Prix in Eugene, European champion Laura Muir returns to British soil for her second 1500m of the season. The world indoor silver medallist ended her US training and racing spell looking sharp, with a 1:58.71 victory over 800m at the Track Meet in Irvine last weekend. 
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Laura Muir takes another 1500m win in London</div>
&nbsp;
Fellow Briton Katie Snowden advanced her PB to 4:02.98 with a win in the 1500m in the same Californian event and will be seeking to back up that breakthrough win in a face that also features sub-four performers in 2014 world indoor silver medallist Axumawit Embaye of Ethiopia and Rababe Arafi of Morocco. Uganda&rsquo;s 800m specialist Winnie Nanyondo and, at the other end of the spectrum, Britain&rsquo;s European 5000m silver medallist Eilish McColgan are also in the field.
In the field, in addition to Lasitskene, there will be two other world champions seeking to crank their Olympic season into gear.
Tajay Gayle, the Jamaican long jumper who stunned the world with his 8.69m gold medal leap in Doha, already has a 8.27m mark to his name this year. Grenadine javelin man Anderson Peters will be looking to build on the 83.39m he threw for second place behind Johannes Vetter&rsquo;s monster 94.20m in Ostrava. 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott, third in the Czech Republic with 82.75m, is also in the field. 
<div id="60a77dd3135c0c152cff1725" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/e4e82d34-a916-4906-b500-77901b97fb99.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Tajay Gayle in action at the Diamond League meeting in London</div>
&nbsp;
Gayle&rsquo;s Jamaican teammate Kimberly Williams will be looking to reproduce her winning form from Mt SAC earlier this month where she won with 14.62m. But US record-holder Keturah Orji, who finished second on that occasion, will be out for revenge.
Danniel Thomas-Dodd, who took 2019 world silver, meets 2015 world champion Christina Schwanitz of Germany in the shot, while fellow Jamaicans Shericka Jackson and Stephenie Ann McPherson square up over 400m.
The 100m hurdles promises to be a domestic sisterly affair, with Cindy Sember lining up against Tiffany Porter, whose British record she missed by a mere 0.02 with a 12.53 clocking at Mt SAC.
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics

The Muller Grand Prix Gateshead will be flooded with stellar talent, with a cast featuring 10 reigning world or Olympic champions and a combined cache of more than 100 global medals.

World stars raring to go as Wanda Diamond League action returns to Gateshead

Johannes Vetter produced the standout performance among an all-star cast of talent at the Golden Spike in Ostrava, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, on Wednesday (19), the German unleashing a 94.20m effort in the opening round of the javelin competition.
That was the third longest throw of the 28-year-old&rsquo;s career, and gave him victory with 11 metres to spare over his nearest rival, world champion Anderson Peters, who threw 83.39m.
&ldquo;It was a great throw,&rdquo; said 2017 world gold medallist Vetter. &ldquo;But of course the world record would be even better. It was great training for me. I made only small mistakes and managed to hit the javelin very clean.&rdquo; 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
What a 🚀<a href="https://twitter.com/jojo_javelin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jojo_javelin</a> produces impressive 94.20m world lead with third biggest throw of his career. The only man to have ever thrown farther than the German is <a href="https://twitter.com/ZlataTretra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZlataTretra</a> meeting director and world record-holder Jan Zelezny.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ContinentalTourGold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ContinentalTourGold</a> <a href="https://t.co/FNYtb47c0d">pic.twitter.com/FNYtb47c0d</a>
&mdash; Continental Tour Gold (@ContiTourGold) <a href="https://twitter.com/ContiTourGold/status/1395078584730062852?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async=""></script>

 The touted 3000m world record attempt by Joshua Cheptegei fell victim to the cold, windy conditions on the night, the Ugandan setting off on pace and passing 1000m in 2:26. He followed his second pacemaker Stewart McSweyn through the next two laps before being left alone to hit 2000m in 4:56.19. But with Daniel Komen&rsquo;s world record of 7:20.67 then slipping out of reach, Cheptegei didn&rsquo;t need to empty his tank thereafter but he maintained a decent pace to again stamp his supremacy over some world-class rivals.
His 7:33.24 was a world lead and personal best, with the USA&rsquo;s Paul Chelimo a distant second in 7:41.69.
&ldquo;It was kind of a speed test for me,&rdquo; said Cheptegei, who added that his next stop is the Golden Gala in Florence on 10 June, where he will race over 5000m. There, he will renew his rivalry with compatriot Jacob Kiplimo, who produced the performance of the meeting on the track four hours earlier. The world half marathon champion put on an exhibition in the 10,000m, moving to seventh on the all-time list with his time of 26:33.93.
The 20-year-old Ugandan coasted behind the pacemakers until 5000m, reached in 13:27.43, then shifted through the gears over the latter half, which he ran entirely alone in a blazing 13:06 to carve almost a minute off his previous best, which dated back to the 2016 World U20 Championships. 
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/e7d54c29-4b60-44cf-9e4c-df3d89d889b7.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="633" />
 &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t expect to run that time, I was hoping to run under 27:00,&rdquo; said Kiplimo, who added that he will double over 5000m and 10,000m at the Olympics and that his goal in Tokyo is to &ldquo;be on the podium&rdquo;.
Back in second, Birhanu Balew set a Bahraini record of 27:07.49.
<h3>Burgin and Hodgkinson claim British 800m double</h3>
British teenagers Max Burgin and Keely Hodgkinson produced a pair of stunning performances in the 800m races, clocking respective European U20 records of 1:44.14 and 1:58.89.
Hodgkinson followed the pacemaker through the first lap in 58 seconds in the women&rsquo;s race and hit 600m in front in 1:28.39, then powered away from her rivals to record her first ever sub-1:59 clocking.
&ldquo;I knew I was in good shape but it&rsquo;s different getting it out on the day,&rdquo; said the 19-year-old. &ldquo;The pacemaker did an amazing job and it was a perfect race. I could not ask for more.&rdquo;
Burgin was rewarded for his bravery in going with the pacemaker &ndash; the only runner in the men&rsquo;s 800m to do so &ndash; and clocked a world lead and European U20 record of 1:44.14. He came home well clear of Dutch athlete Tony van Diepen (1:45.36) and Britain&rsquo;s Jake Wightman (1:45.47). The effort left him in some distress afterwards as he took several minutes to get to his feet in the mixed zone.
&ldquo;I saw the race of my good friend Keely who ran just before me and she ran so fast so I thought, &lsquo;I just have to match it at least,&rsquo;&rdquo; said Burgin, who only turns 19 on Thursday. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Britain's 19-year-old <a href="https://twitter.com/MaxBurgin3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaxBurgin3</a> breaks the <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroAthletics</a> U20 record with a world-leading 1:44.14 at <a href="https://twitter.com/ZlataTretra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZlataTretra</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ContinentalTourGold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ContinentalTourGold</a> <a href="https://t.co/SxfOq5kV8B">pic.twitter.com/SxfOq5kV8B</a>
&mdash; Continental Tour Gold (@ContiTourGold) <a href="https://twitter.com/ContiTourGold/status/1395064267754332165?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async=""></script>

 Marcin Lewandowski showed all of his typical tactical nous to kick to victory in the men&rsquo;s 1500m in 3:35.57. &ldquo;Those who know me know I start slowly,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;ll get better during the next weeks and months.&rdquo;
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Freweyni Hailu was a class apart in the women&rsquo;s 1500m, clocking 4:04.20 to win from Slovenia&rsquo;s Marusa Mismas-Zrimsek (4:07.50). World record-holder Genzebe Dibaba stepped off the track midway through the final lap when fading back through the field.
Getnet Wale coasted to victory in the men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase, the Ethiopian running all alone for the latter half of the race and winning by 11 seconds in 8:09.47. Britain&rsquo;s Phil Norman was next best in 8:20.12. &ldquo;It was a good race, but the weather was a bit too cold and one pacemaker was not enough,&rdquo; said Wale.
<h3>Sprint wins for Richardson and Kerley</h3>
Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson continued her winning ways with a facile victory in the women&rsquo;s 200m, the 21-year-old US sprint sensation clocking 22.35 to beat Blessing Okagbare (22.59).
&ldquo;It was a good result for the conditions and the weather, the girls definitely gave me a good push,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I just continue to make a statement that nothing I do is a fluke, everything is legit, it comes from hard work for me and my coach. I wanted to shout out to world that my bark may be loud but my actions and my bite are even louder.&rdquo;
Richardson will return to the 100m at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Gateshead on Sunday (23) where she faces Dina Asher-Smith and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
&ldquo;It definitely will be a race to make a statement, not just for myself,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Anyone that comes out on top will make a statement for the world to see.&rdquo; 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Another statement from <a href="https://twitter.com/itskerrii?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@itskerrii</a> ‼️ 22.35 for the American sprint sensation at <a href="https://twitter.com/ZlataTretra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZlataTretra</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ContinentalTourGold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ContinentalTourGold</a> <a href="https://t.co/zHTTqdCFAX">pic.twitter.com/zHTTqdCFAX</a>
&mdash; Continental Tour Gold (@ContiTourGold) <a href="https://twitter.com/ContiTourGold/status/1395087951357415424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async=""></script>

 Kirani James was an impressive winner of the men&rsquo;s 400m, the 2012 Olympic champion clocking 44.74 ahead of runner-up Vernon Norwood (45.28). &ldquo;I still have some work to do, things we can improve,&rdquo; said James. &ldquo;The time was important but the main thing was to perform well and stay healthy.&rdquo;
Kenny Bednarek took victory in the men&rsquo;s 200m, clocking 19.93 (-0.6m/s) ahead of Fred Kerley, who was runner-up in 20.27 just 80 minutes after competing in the 100m. The shorter sprint ironically proved to be the better one for Kerley, a 400m specialist. He powered to victory in 9.96 (1.4m/s) ahead of Justin Gatlin (10.08) and Andre De Grasse (10.17).
&ldquo;I got two good runs here, I cannot complain,&rdquo; said Kerley. &ldquo;I can get ready for the 400 now. To run both was part of the training cycle.&rdquo;
<h3>Duplantis on top in rust-buster</h3>
Mondo Duplantis was off his best in the men&rsquo;s pole vault, but these days even that is typically good enough given his ability, and so it was tonight. The Swede&rsquo;s best clearance was his first-time effort at 5.90m, which ultimately gave him victory over Sam Kendricks who finished second with 5.85m. Duplantis went on to try 5.95m and 6.00m but was unsuccessful on a breezy night that was not ideal for vaulting.
&ldquo;It was my first meeting of the summer so I just needed to get the rust away,&rdquo; said world record-holder Duplantis. &ldquo;I had a bit of a problem with the running part and just could not feel my legs doing the job I needed. But it showed me I am in pretty good shape.&rdquo;
The touted head-to-head clash in the men&rsquo;s triple jump between Hugues Fabrice Zango and Christian Taylor never truly materialised, with Taylor exiting the competition after sustaining an injury in the fifth round. He had a best on the night of 16.36m. Zango took victory with his fourth-round effort of 17.20m.
Poland&rsquo;s Malwina Kopron produced a season&rsquo;s best to take victory in the women&rsquo;s hammer, throwing 74.74m in wet, windy conditions in the late afternoon.
&ldquo;The weather was great because the circle was faster after the rain and it suited me well,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I do not think I am in top shape yet but it should come just before the Olympics. I think it will be necessary to throw over 76 metres to get a medal in Tokyo.&rdquo;
France&rsquo;s Alexandra Tavernier was second with 73.30m, while two-time Olympic champion Anita Wlodarczyk was next best, the world record-holder throwing 72.72m.
Germany&rsquo;s Christin Hussong fared best in the women&rsquo;s javelin, her fourth-round effort of 66.56m carrying her to victory ahead of Czech Republic&rsquo;s Nikola Ogrodnikova (65.13m). World record-holder Barbora Spotakova finished fourth with a best of 59.49m.
Croatia&rsquo;s Filip Mihaljevic was best in the men&rsquo;s shot put, his 21.58m giving him victory over Poland&rsquo;s Michal Haratyk (21.30m). France&rsquo;s Augustin Bay took the long jump with 8.02m.
Turkey&rsquo;s Yasmani Copello was a comfortable winner of the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles, the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist clocking 49.21. Britain&rsquo;s Jessie Knight broke her PB for the second time in four days when clocking 54.74 in the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles, which handed her victory ahead of Ukraine&rsquo;s Anna Ryzhykova (55.09).
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

Johannes Vetter produced the standout performance among an all-star cast of talent at the Golden Spike in Ostrava, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, on Wednesday (19).

Vetter dominates with 94.20m throw in Ostrava

Joshua Cheptegei has Daniel Komen&rsquo;s 3000m world record firmly in his sights at the 60th edition of the Golden Spike in Ostrava, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, on Wednesday (19).
The video of that astonishing run, in which Komen clocked 7:20.67 in Rieti, Italy in September 1996, is one the 24-year-old Ugandan knows well.
&ldquo;Ever since I started running, I&rsquo;ve been watching it three or four times (a year), and this year I&rsquo;ve been watching it five times,&rdquo; said Cheptegei at the press conference on Tuesday. &ldquo;I still really can&rsquo;t believe it. What he did was really special and most of the big icons in the sport, the likes of Kenenisa (Bekele), (Hicham) El Guerrouj, Haile (Gebrselassie) tried it, but it was untouchable and that shows you how special the record is.&rdquo;
The key question for Cheptegei, however, is whether he also sees it that way?
&ldquo;I believe it&rsquo;s not untouchable,&rdquo; he said.
The Ugandan said he was &ldquo;satisfied&rdquo; with his fitness ahead of tomorrow evening&rsquo;s attempt, in which he will be paced by Australia&rsquo;s Stewart McSweyn.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m hopeful the weather is okay, it should be (possible to break) the Ugandan record, which is 7:26, and of course the final one is the world record &ndash; 7:20 is not easy, it&rsquo;s one of the hardest records and that&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s not been broken for the past 25 years, but I&rsquo;ll run fast as long as my legs will carry me.&rdquo;
Cheptegei believes the pandemic was a blessing in disguise for his performances last year, allowing as it did a period of uninterrupted training and the freedom to chase world records without having to worry about preparing for championships. He set the 5000m world record of 12:35.36 in Monaco in August before breaking another of Bekele&rsquo;s records in Valencia in October, clocking 26:11.00 for 10,000m.
If he adds the 3000m record he will become just the third man in history &ndash; after Paavo Nurmi and Henry Rono &ndash; to hold all three world records at once, but it will be a tough ask, given no other athlete besides Komen has ever broken 7:23.
Another world record-holder, Mondo Duplantis, will compete in Ostrava for the first time on Wednesday and the pole vault kingpin admits there&rsquo;s a question mark lingering over his likely performance.
&ldquo;I did do a home meet at (Louisiana State University) but it was more of a last-second training meet, it wasn&rsquo;t part of my schedule,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Now I&rsquo;ve got to step it up a bit and go after the big stuff. It&rsquo;s our opening meet, it&rsquo;s nerve-wracking, it&rsquo;s exciting, and I think we don&rsquo;t know what to expect. We&rsquo;re just going to out there and try to jump high.&rdquo;
Duplantis cleared 5.90m in that first outdoor competition of the year but he has since been over six metres in training.
&ldquo;I feel good, training is good but it&rsquo;s hard to tell until we have a meet,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to compare what I do in training to a meet. It&rsquo;s a whole different mentality when it comes to a competition but the things I&rsquo;m doing in training now are better than I&rsquo;ve ever been. This is my first meet from a full approach so there should be a little bit of rust.&rdquo;
Duplantis welcomed the news that 1500 fans will be allowed into the stadium on Wednesday evening. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t realise how lame it is when you go from these crazy meets with people watching you to no one watching you,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always liked the pressure and I&rsquo;ve always liked the spotlight.&rdquo;
Sam Kendricks, the reigning world champion, will take on his good friend in Ostrava and he&rsquo;s confident it can help him surpass his current best this year of 5.86m.
&ldquo;Mondo always brings the best out of me,&rdquo; said Kendricks, who is also relieved to have fans back in the stands at the event where he holds the meeting record of 5.93m. &ldquo;You see the crowd is deserving of a spectacle and you want to give it to them. Having this energy and attention on us makes us do better.&rdquo;
<h3>Best time of year, says Taylor</h3>
There is another clash to savour in the men&rsquo;s triple jump where two-time Olympic champion Christian Taylor faces the man most likely to stand in his way in Tokyo: Hugues Fabrice Zango. Taylor had a best of 16.52m on his most recent outing in Eugene off a short run-up, but he&rsquo;s coming to Ostrava ready to stretch his legs. 
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/7c991a81-0da6-4f92-8a28-43524486d93d.jpg?cachebuster=ca5976e0-a7ca-4468-83b0-bf69500bb577" alt="" width="600" height="400" />
 &ldquo;Before was a short approach and (with) a lot of training, but now we&rsquo;re ready to begin,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I chase competition, I really want to compete because training every day can get boring. This, for me, is the best time of year.&rdquo;
Zango broke the world indoor triple jump record with his 18.07m in Aubiere, France, back in January and he opened his outdoor season with 17.40m earlier this month in Montpelier and he&rsquo;s also expecting better in Ostrava.
&ldquo;This (was a) good entry (competition) but for me it was not a big meeting,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Tomorrow will be the first meet where I will give it all. This winter (after) I jumped the world indoor record, my mind is open. For me, there is no limit. I know exactly what I have to do tomorrow.&rdquo;
US sprint star Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson will aim to break 22 seconds for the first time in the women&rsquo;s 200m in what is her first race on the European circuit, and the 21-year-old felt no ill-effects after the long journey to the Czech Republic.
&ldquo;Even if I did have jetlag I wouldn&rsquo;t use that as an excuse, I&rsquo;m feeling good,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I fell in love with the 200 before the 100, I like to show people I can be a 200 runner as much as a 100 runner.&rdquo;
Richardson confirmed she will attempt to make the US Olympic team at both distances next month and she&rsquo;s not ruling out the possibility of the sprint world records of 10.49 and 21.34, which have stood to Florence Griffith-Joyner since 1988.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think they&rsquo;re impossible,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Records are there to be broken.&rdquo; 
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/5c36d0d3-79bf-4b60-868b-6b61d9b01fbe.jpg?cachebuster=18a02bd4-5607-4b18-812f-4e120daf82b0" alt="" width="600" height="400" />
 In Ostrava Richardson will face two-time world champion Dafne Schippers, who will run her first individual race of the year.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m always excited to run against the fastest girls in the world,&rdquo; said Schippers. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice to see new talent and I&rsquo;m really excited to race.&rdquo;
<h3>Vetter looking for another lucky punch</h3>
Johannes Vetter will be the star attraction in the men&rsquo;s javelin and he arrives fully content with his current fitness. &ldquo;Training is going really, really well but I don&rsquo;t want to throw far in training, I want to do it in competitions,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There is a lot to do before Tokyo but competitions are the best training.&rdquo;
Vetter launched an astonishing 97.76m German record in Chorzow last September and he admits he&rsquo;ll be trying hard to reproduce such magic this season.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure how hard it will be to recreate, the positions during that throw were really good and it&rsquo;s always down to small details which are really hard to train, develop and stabilise. I think I&rsquo;m in a good way now, the last competitions were at a really high level and I think, I hope, it&rsquo;s a matter of time before I have one more lucky punch in a big competition. The most important thing is to stay healthy, especially in Olympic season.&rdquo;
Anderson Peters will also be in the field and the world champion is relieved to be back in competition mode after missing the entirety of 2020, forced to remain in Grenada for much of the year due to travel restrictions. He was also rehabbing following surgery on his left knee in October 2019.
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

Joshua Cheptegei has Daniel Komen’s 3000m world record firmly in his sights at the 60th edition of the Golden Spike in Ostrava, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, on Wednesday (19).

World 3000m record not untouchable, says Cheptegei

Six world record-holders will headline a stunning cast of athletic talent for the 60th edition of the Golden Spike in Ostrava, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, on Wednesday (19).
In their respective outdoor events, Joshua Cheptegei, Mondo Duplantis, Genzebe Dibaba, Barbora Spotakova and Anita Wlodarczyk have all gone where no other athlete in history has, while with his indoor world record of 18.07m earlier this year, Hugues Fabrice Zango showed he has the potential to one day surpass Jonathan Edwards&rsquo; triple jump world record of 18.29m.
With 1500 fans allowed in the stadium, every set of eyes will be trained on Cheptegei when he takes to the track for the men&rsquo;s 3000m, the final event on the programme. Edged by Duplantis for Male World Athlete of the Year in 2020, the Ugandan 24-year-old has been untouchable on the track since 2019, setting world records at 5000m and 10,000m.
Cheptegei&rsquo;s current best for 3000m is 7:33.26, but the enlisting of Australia&rsquo;s Stewart McSweyn &ndash; a 7:28 man &ndash; as pacemaker suggests the Ugandan is ready to take a massive chunk off that. If conditions are favourable, he looks primed to challenge Daniel Komen&rsquo;s 3000m world record of 7:20.67, which has stood for 25 years. The world 10,000m champion sharpened his speed last month with a 3:37.36 1500m PB at altitude in Kampala. Olympic 5000m silver medallist Paul Chelimo is likely to be his closest pursuer.
Elsewhere in the distance events, world half marathon champion Jacob Kiplimo will open his season over 10,000m where it seems the 20-year-old Ugandan&rsquo;s personal best of 27:26.68 is due for serious revision. In the men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase, 2019 Diamond League champion Getnet Wale of Ethiopia will be looking to improve on his best of 8:05.21, having clocked a blazing 7:24.98 for 3000m indoors back in February. 
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/3a685e3a-6ffb-462c-8697-b7f3656e4e39.jpg?cachebuster=121d9ddb-3682-4eb6-9120-1fc4d57e214e" alt="" width="600" height="400" />
 Poland&rsquo;s world bronze medallist Marcin Lewandowski takes on Ugandan record-holder Ronald Musagala in the men's 1500m. European Indoor 800m champion Patryk Dobek will race the two-lap distance in Ostrava, and the Pole remains undecided between the 800m and the 400m hurdles for the Tokyo Olympics. He should get a good indicator of his medal chances at the longer distance on Wednesday as he takes on seasoned veterans Adam Kszczot and Amel Tuka.
Genzebe Dibaba is the star attraction in the women&rsquo;s 1500m, her first outing at the distance in which she holds the world record since August 2019. The Ethiopian made an eye-catching half marathon debut last December when clocking 1:05:18 in Valencia, but she failed to finish on her only outing since, an indoor 3000m in February. Uganda&rsquo;s Winnie Nanyondo should be her biggest rival. In the women&rsquo;s 800m, European indoor champion Keely Hodgkinson should be tough to beat. 
<h3>Duplantis vs Kendricks, Taylor vs Zango</h3>
The field events in Ostrava are loaded with quality, and all eyes will be on the pole vault runway as Mondo Duplantis looks to go above and beyond the six-metre barrier once again. His best so far this year is the 6.10m he cleared indoors in Belgrade, and two-time world champion Sam Kendricks should once again put it up to his good friend and rival. 
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/e32c1f43-58d1-484b-b7a1-029d373d33e1.jpg?cachebuster=d092a40c-c336-413e-ae6a-525ec65a00d9" alt="" width="600" height="400" />
 Two titans will square off in the men&rsquo;s triple jump, with two-time Olympic champion Christian Taylor looking to stamp his supremacy once again after a modest start to his season. Taylor, who often competes off a shortened approach during his first few competitions of the year, had a best of 16.52m on his most recent outing in Eugene but the four-time world champion knows how to get it right when it counts. In Ostrava, he&rsquo;ll have to be on song to defeat Hugues Fabrice Zango, who soared to an indoor world record of 18.07m in Aubiere, France, back in January and who opened his outdoor season with 17.40m earlier this month.
Poland&rsquo;s Anita Wlodarczyk will be looking to establish her credentials for a third straight Olympic title when she takes to the circle in the women&rsquo;s hammer, the 35-year-old&rsquo;s best this year the 73.87m effort she unleashed in Antalya, Turkey, earlier this month. Alexandra Tavernier should provide stiff opposition, having thrown a French record of 75.38m earlier this year. 
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/5e92ef14-4954-4328-933d-a9e0edbea2b6.jpg?cachebuster=596d2247-634d-4536-8384-b25b08f69d45" alt="" width="600" height="400" />
 Johannes Vetter will be hoping to rekindle some 90-plus-metre magic in the men&rsquo;s javelin, the German record holder holding a best so far this year of 91.50m.
The Czech fans will be keen to see how two-time Olympic champion Barbora Spotakova fares in the women&rsquo;s javelin. The 39-year-old had a best of 65.19m in 2020 and will be looking to improve on the sole mark she recorded at the European Throwing Cup in Split, Croatia, in recent weeks of 58.24m. Spotakova&rsquo;s world record of 72.28m may well be under threat in Ostrava from Maria Andrejczyk, the Pole who opened her season with a stunning effort of 71.40m at the same event in Split.
European indoor champion Tomas Stanek will be looking to win one for the host nation in the men&rsquo;s shot put, where he takes Poland&rsquo;s Michal Haratyk and Konrad Bukowiecki, while Radek Juska, an 8.31m athlete, will be hoping to do likewise in the men&rsquo;s long jump. 
<h3>Richardson takes on Schippers and Okagbare</h3>
In the sprints, the women&rsquo;s 200m will take top billing, with fans eager to see what Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson can produce after her red-hot form in recent weeks. The 21-year-old US sprinter clocked wind-legal 100m times of 10.72, 10.74 and 10.77 already this season and she seems primed to dip below 22 seconds over 200m for the first time. Also in the field is two-time world champion Dafne Schippers and Nigeria&rsquo;s Blessing Okagbare. 
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/8701b456-d14d-4e1f-b107-0f6c6cd1c261.jpg?cachebuster=5ea63b24-2de9-428e-a041-5a5e81b7e7cb" alt="" width="600" height="400" />
 Olympic 100m bronze medallist Andre De Grasse will face 2004 Olympic champion Justin Gatlin in the men&rsquo;s 100m and while both have edged below 10 seconds this year, they will have it all to do to beat 400m specialist Fred Kerley, who clocked 9.91 (2.0m/s) in Miami last month.
Kerley is also slated for the 200m, which takes place 80 minutes after the 100m. In the latter, Kenny Bednarek should prove tough to beat, having run 19.94 behind Noah Lyles at the USATF Golden Games recently.
In the men&rsquo;s 400m, 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James will be looking to return to his best as the clock counts down towards the Tokyo Games. The Grenadian opened his season with a 44.88-second clocking in Phoenix, USA, last month, though Vernon Norwood is the quickest in the field this year with his 44.64.
Olympic bronze medallist Yasmani Copello headlines the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles, while Denmark&rsquo;s Sara Slott Petersen is the quickest on paper in the women&rsquo;s event.
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

Six world record-holders will headline a stunning cast of athletic talent for the 60th edition of the Golden Spike in Ostrava, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, on Wednesday (19).

Global champions and world record-holders ready to clash in Ostrava

&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not done yet,&rdquo; exclaimed Sha'Carri Richardson, speaking trackside after the second of her sub-10.80 100m runs at the USATF Golden Games&nbsp;on Sunday (9). Seeing the path the 21-year-old has blazed so far, it&rsquo;s easy to believe her.
Blasting out of the blocks at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Walnut, California, all eight finalists were pretty evenly matched until suddenly, they weren&rsquo;t. Finding an extra gear in the second half of the race, Richardson&rsquo;s acceleration was mesmerising. Bright blue hair flowing behind her, she surged ahead, crossing the finish line in 10.77 despite running into a -1.2m/s wind. Less than two hours earlier, Richardson had run 10.74 (1.1m/s) to win her heat &ndash; the fastest ever wind-legal time recorded in the first round of a 100m competition.
"I definitely was expecting a different time, a different execution," she said after the final. &ldquo;But I executed a fine race and I walked away with the dub (win), so I&rsquo;m not disappointed.
&ldquo;Whenever it comes, it comes, but I&rsquo;m most definitely wanting to make history. Wanting to let everybody know that every time I step on the track, there&rsquo;s going to be history made.&rdquo; 
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 It was in 2019 that Richardson&rsquo;s history-making really started. Storming into the spotlight at the NCAA Championships in Austin, the Texas native broke both the world U20 100m and 200m records &ndash; her respective times of 10.75 and 22.17 making for the second-best ever women&rsquo;s one-day double behind Merlene Ottey&rsquo;s achievements at the 1990 Weltklasse Zurich meeting.
The Louisiana State University freshman turned pro a few days later. &ldquo;I thank my coaches, family, friends and fans for all the support while here at LSU,&rdquo; she wrote in a statement at the time. &ldquo;I would like to announce that I have decided to pursue my lifelong dream and become a professional athlete.&rdquo; She relocated to Clermont, Florida, and in 2020, despite the pandemic, she backed up the previous year&rsquo;s performances with runs of 10.95 and 22.00, times which ranked her third and second for 100m and 200m respectively on the season&rsquo;s global lists.
Having missed out on making the USA team for the 2019 World Athletics Championships, Richardson started the postponed Olympic season in sensational style. At the Miramar Invitational in Florida on 11 April, she won the 100m final in 10.72 to become the sixth fastest woman in 100m history.
&ldquo;My coach will be proud but he&rsquo;ll say I still have more work to do, and I agree,&rdquo; she said at the time. &ldquo;My season is going to be unbelievable.&rdquo; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/a74b5282-ed90-45a2-a690-01e2a17d7737.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="626" /> Sha'Carri Richardson wins the 100m at the NCAA Championships (&copy; Kirby Lee)
 That season continued with a 22.11 200m at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational before her pair of sub-10.80 100m runs in California. According to wind adjustment calculators, running 10.77 into a -1.2m/s wind is worth sub-10.7 in still conditions, or sub-10.6 with the maximum allowed 2.0m/s tailwind. So just how fast does she think she can go?
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t necessarily have a target time that I want to run (this year) &ndash; it&rsquo;s a range I would love to get into,&rdquo; said Richardson, who has been announced for the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Gateshead, UK, on 23 May. &ldquo;I definitely want to get into the sub-10.7 range and from there, just to continue to execute and get faster.&rdquo;
The world record, of course, is Florence Griffith-Joyner&rsquo;s 10.49 from 1988 and inevitably, also because of her style, comparisons have been made between Richardson and the three-time Olympic gold medallist, who is a source of inspiration.
&ldquo;If I do have a role model in the sport of track and field it would be the legendary and amazing, one and only, Flo-Jo,&rdquo; said Richardson who, in turn, will now be inspiring future track stars herself. &ldquo;It feels amazing to be able to be a role model and have people look up to me, but I always encourage them to be themselves because being yourself is what is going to make you who you actually are.&rdquo;
Although Richardson has enjoyed great success over the past few years, things have not always been easy and speaking on the eve of Mental Health Awareness Week, she explained: &ldquo;My mental health experience has definitely been a journey for me. At every level of track, or just different chapters of life, my mentality has been challenged to change or to grow. So being able to accept and acknowledge my mental health and not run away from it but embrace it and encourage myself to make sure my mental health is just as strong as my physical &ndash; that&rsquo;s a very key and important thing behind my success.&rdquo;
That balance, along with her hard work and determination, continues to see Richardson rise. After all, there&rsquo;s more history to be made.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
<a href="https://raceroster.com/events/2021/46978/asics-blue-jean-mile" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60a8243be52e28addc6386b7.png" alt="" width="1600" height="420" /></a>

“We’re not done yet,” exclaimed Sha'Carri Richardson, speaking trackside after the second of her sub-10.80 100m runs at the USATF Golden Games on Sunday (9). Seeing the path the 21-year-old has blazed so far, it’s easy to believe her.

Sha'Carri Richardson, history maker

A pair of sub-10.80 runs from Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson in the 100m and a highly convincing 47.13 400m hurdles victory from Rai Benjamin were among the many highlights of the USATF Golden Games &ndash; a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting &ndash; held at Mt SAC in Walnut, California, on Sunday (9).
Richardson turned heads early in the programme with her run in the 100m heats. With her customary strong start, followed by her astonishing turnover in the closing stages, Richardson breezed through the line in 10.74 (1.1m/s) &ndash; the fastest wind-legal time ever recorded in the first round of a 100m competition.
She was back on track about 90 minutes later for the final. The wind had changed direction, which only became apparent after the race, but the outcome was almost identical. Once she hit top speed, she pulled away from the rest of the field with incredible ease and tore through the finishing tape, stopping the clock at 10.77 (-1.2m/s).
No one else has ever run so fast into a headwind of -1.0m/s or more. The 21-year-old also becomes just the third woman in history to better 10.80 twice in one day with legal wind.
&ldquo;I executed a fine race and I walked away with the win, so I&rsquo;m not disappointed,&rdquo; said Richardson, who last month clocked a world-leading PB of 10.72. &ldquo;I know I can do better, so I&rsquo;m just waiting for the next opportunity.&rdquo;
Javianne Oliver was second in the final in 11.08, having recorded a PB of 10.97 in the heats. World U20 champion Briana Williams was third in 11.15 and 2007 world champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, now 38, was fifth (11.31).
Benjamin, competing in his first 400m hurdles race since taking the silver medal at the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019, looked anything but race rusty. 
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Rai Benjamin wins the 400m hurdles at the USATF Golden Games at Mt SAC</div>
&nbsp;
Commonwealth champion Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands matched Benjamin through the first half, but Benjamin started to pull ahead on the final bend and emerged with a clear lead at the start of the home straight. He continued to extend his lead and crossed the line in 47.13, the third-fastest time of his career and just 0.15 shy of his PB. It also smashed the previous facility record of 47.89, set by the legendary Edwin Moses back in 1979.
McMaster finished second in a national record of 47.50 and 20-year-old Alison Dos Santos was third in a Brazilian record of 47.68.
&ldquo;I was on a Zoom call with Edwin Moses a few weeks ago,&rdquo; said Benjamin. &ldquo;We were talking about technique and the rhythm of the race, so it&rsquo;s pretty cool to break one of his records.&rdquo; 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Benjamin is back with a BANG💥 In his first 400m hurdles race since 2019, <a href="https://twitter.com/_Kingben_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_Kingben_</a> opens up with a world-leading 47.13, =14th fastest all-time. 📰:<a href="https://t.co/ITRdlaLhuT">https://t.co/ITRdlaLhuT</a> <a href="https://t.co/0aiV9vYSTl">pic.twitter.com/0aiV9vYSTl</a>
&mdash; Continental Tour Gold (@ContiTourGold) <a href="https://twitter.com/ContiTourGold/status/1391533818826346500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async=""></script>

&nbsp;
<h3>World leads from Little, Purrier and Nelson</h3>
Benjamin&rsquo;s run was one of four world-leading marks set in Walnut.
The first came in the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles, courtesy of Shamier Little. Like Benjamin, the 2015 world silver medallist was contesting her first hurdles race of 2021, having focused on &ndash; and thrived in &ndash; flat events so far this year.
She bided her time for the first 300m, doing just enough to stay on equal terms with Panama&rsquo;s Gianna Woodruff. Coming off the final hurdle, Little produced incredible finishing speed to cross the line more than a second ahead of the rest of the field, winning in 53.65. Woodruff was rewarded with a national record of 54.70.
About 15 minutes later, Elle Purrier produced a dominant run in the women&rsquo;s 1500m to join the event&rsquo;s sub-four-minute club. Once the pacemaker stepped aside, Purrier dictated the pace and kept Canada&rsquo;s Gabriela DeBues-Stafford at bay before unleashing a strong finish down the home straight, winning in 3:58.36.
DeBues-Stafford was second in 4:00.69 and Shannon Osika was third in a PB of 4:00.73.
In the men&rsquo;s pole vault, Pan-American champion Chris Nilsen cleared 5.91m to knock Mondo Duplantis off the No.1 spot on this year&rsquo;s world list. He led from the outset and watched as his last two remaining opponents, Nate Richartz and Matt Ludwig, exited the competition with misses at 5.75m and 5.80m. Nilsen then vaulted 5.91m on his first try and ended his series with three misses at a would-be PB of 6.00m. 
<h3>Lyles and Thomas take 200m honours</h3>
It&rsquo;s no secret by now that Noah Lyles likes to leave it late to make his move, but even his most ardent of followers would have been biting their nails watching him in action in Walnut. 
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<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/ac5769c7-e7db-43bb-b284-4e4ac2983592.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Noah Lyles wins the 200m at the USATF Golden Games</div>
&nbsp;
The world 200m champion, competing in his specialist event, had no response when Kenny Bednarek breezed past him on the bend, opening up a lead of two or three metres. Even as they entered the straight, Lyles seemed to be making up little ground on his US compatriot, but then in the last 10 metres or so, Lyles found an extra gear and just edged ahead to win in 19.90 to Bednarek&rsquo;s 19.94 (0.7m/s).
The women&rsquo;s 200m was of a similarly high quality, but played out slightly differently with four women in contention. With about 50 metres to go, little separated Gabby Thomas, Allyson Felix, Lynna Irby and Jenna Prandini. Thomas found a little extra at the end to pull clear and win in 22.12 with the wind just over the allowable limit (2.1m/s).
Felix held on for second in 22.26, her fastest 200m in any conditions since 2016. Irby was close behind (22.27) with Prandini fourth (22.30). 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Gabby Thomas holds off <a href="https://twitter.com/allysonfelix?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@allysonfelix</a> over 200m with 22.12 from 22.26, Felix's fastest time since 2016!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ContinentalTourGold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ContinentalTourGold</a> <a href="https://t.co/o29TkCUWZi">pic.twitter.com/o29TkCUWZi</a>
&mdash; Continental Tour Gold (@ContiTourGold) <a href="https://twitter.com/ContiTourGold/status/1391530918968442882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async=""></script>

 World record-holder Kendra Harrison equalled her season&rsquo;s best to win the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles in 12.48 (2.0m/s). The world silver medallist finished ahead of Britain&rsquo;s Cindy Sember (12.53), Tobi Amusan (12.61) and Devynne Charlton, who set a Bahamian record of 12.61. Close behind, world 400m hurdles silver medallist Sydney McLaughlin clocked a PB and Olympic qualifying mark of 12.65.
Michael Norman dominated the men&rsquo;s 400m to win in 44.40, breaking the facility record set 29 years ago by 1988 Olympic champion Steve Lewis. Michael Cherry was second in 44.86.
Darrell Hill produced the highlight of the field events, winning the men&rsquo;s shot put with 22.34m. The 2017 Diamond League champion led from the opening round (21.13m) and improved with his next three throws: 21.69m, 22.19m and 22.34m. Josh Awotunde was second with a PB of 21.68m.
All-round throws talent Maggie Ewen threw a season&rsquo;s best of 19.32m to win the women&rsquo;s hammer, beating world silver medallist Danniel Thomas-Dodd of Jamaica (18.91m).
Cravon Gillespie won a competitive men&rsquo;s 100m final in 9.96 (1.9m/s) with Isiah Young (9.99) and Chris Belcher (10.01) close behind. Most of the talk for this discipline, however, centred around the participation of NFL player DK Metcalf. The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver ran a respectable 10.37 to finish ninth in his heat. 
<h3>Outdoor PBs for Reekie and Hoare</h3>
Britain&rsquo;s Jemma Reekie produced an impressive finishing kick to overhaul Canada&rsquo;s Melissa Bishop-Nriagu in the finishing straight of the women&rsquo;s 800m. Reekie crossed the line in an outdoor PB of 1:58.27 while European 1500m champion Laura Muir came through to take second place (1:58.46). Bishop-Nriagu was third in 1:58.62, her fastest time for almost four years.
Australia&rsquo;s Oliver Hoare, one of the middle-distance sensations during this year&rsquo;s indoor season, stuck doggedly to the pacemaker in the men&rsquo;s 1500m and was rewarded with an outdoor PB of 3:33.19. Canada&rsquo;s Justin Knight shadowed Hoare the entire way, finishing in 3:33.41.
Bryce Hoppel &ndash; like Muir and Hoare, another strong indoor performer &ndash; took the men&rsquo;s 800m in 1:44.94.
Elsewhere, Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi cleared a season&rsquo;s best of 4.80m to win the women&rsquo;s pole vault from Katie Nageotte and Oliva Gruver (4.70m).
Jamaica&rsquo;s Kimberly Williams came within two centimetres of her PB to win the women&rsquo;s triple jump with 14.62m, while Will Claye won the men&rsquo;s event with 17.15m.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

A pair of sub-10.80 runs from Sha’Carri Richardson in the 100m and a highly convincing 47.13 400m hurdles victory from Rai Benjamin were among the many highlights of the USATF Golden Games – a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting – held at Mt SAC in Walnut, California, on Sunday (9).

Richardson and Benjamin impress with victories at Mt SAC

Noah Lyles makes his 200m season opener, Rai Benjamin and Shamier Little return to 400m hurdles action and Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson looks to continue her fine 100m form at the USATF Golden Games, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series, on Sunday (9).
The meeting features great depth across the board, with Allyson Felix, Michael Norman, Katerina Stefanidi, Keni Harrison, Bryce Hoppel and Laura Muir also among the entries. The inclusion of NFL star DK Metcalf in the 100m line-up adds another dimension to the competition at Mt SAC in Walnut, California.
After racing over 100m in Florida and Eugene last month with a best of 10.08, world 200m champion Lyles returns to his specialty event this weekend and he will be joined by Kenny Bednarek, who ranked second behind Lyles &ndash; 19.80 to 19.76 &ndash; last year, plus teenager Erriyon Knighton, who ran a wind-assisted 9.99 (2.7m/s) for 100m last weekend.
With the&nbsp;track set to be reversed for the sprints to take advantage of a tailwind, some fast times can be expected.
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/ad3cc1c7-7aca-437c-8a49-854b6a3e9c25.jpg" width="950" height="748" />
The women&rsquo;s event will see multiple global gold medallist Felix race the distance outdoors for the first time since 2017.
World U20 record-holder Richardson moved to sixth on the world 100m all-time list with her 10.72 in Florida on April 11 and after a 22.11 200m six days later she again contests the shorter sprint and lines up alongside English Gardner, Javianne Oliver, Morolake Akinosun,&nbsp;Briana Williams and Olympic and world gold medallist Veronica Campbell Brown.
World silver medallist Benjamin hasn&rsquo;t raced over the barriers since 2019, during a season which saw him clock 46.98 to become the equal third-fastest 400m hurdler in history, and he makes a comeback this weekend after opening with a 44.97 400m flat behind Norman&rsquo;s 44.67 in Eugene two weeks ago. In Walnut, Commonwealth champion Kyron McMaster and Brazil&rsquo;s Alison dos Santos &ndash; fresh from World Athletics Relays action &ndash; join Benjamin in the 400m hurdles, while Michael Cherry will race against Norman in the 400m.
After becoming only the second woman to ever break 53 seconds for the 400m hurdles and 50 seconds for 400m flat with a&nbsp;49.91 PB at the&nbsp;Miramar Invitational last month, 2015 world silver medallist Little also makes a highly-anticipated hurdles return. She will line up alongside Olympic bronze medallist&nbsp;Ashley Spencer and Panama&rsquo;s Gianna Woodruff, who won at the Drake Relays with a world-leading national record of 55.02.
Joining world record-holder Harrison in the 100m hurdles are world 400m hurdles silver medallist Sydney McLaughlin, who clocked a 12.86 PB in Eugene, and Tobi Amusan, who like Harrison has run 12.48 so far this season.
<h3>Metcalf tests his speed</h3>
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Metcalf has turned heads with his speed on the American football field but will now put that to the test as he takes to the track to race against the likes of Mike Rodgers and Kyree King, who has run 9.97 this season.
The 800m sees Olympic bronze medallist Clayton Murphy, world fourth-placer Bryce Hoppel, 2016 world indoor medallist Erik Sowinski and former NCAA winners Josh Kerr and Michael Saruni in the men&rsquo;s event. Adelle Tracey won in Eugene last month ahead of her fellow Briton Jemma Reekie and world silver medallist Raevyn Rogers and they all race again at the Golden Games, this time joined by Reekie&rsquo;s training partner Laura Muir, the double world indoor medallist.
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/cf0a74af-3a7f-480c-8041-d7fabaa922ac.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="702" />
Canada&rsquo;s Gabriela DeBues-Stafford is a former training partner of Muir and Reekie and she races the 1500m along with Elle Purrier, Eilish McColgan, Nikki Hiltz and Aisha Praught-Leer, while the men&rsquo;s event includes Oceania indoor 1500m record-holder Oliver Hoare, Justyn Knight, Moh Ahmed and Johnny Gregorek.
Olympic runner-up Evan Jager competes in a 3000m steeplechase for the first time since 2018 and his fellow world medallist Courtney Frerichs goes in the women&rsquo;s event.
Multiple Olympic and world triple jump medallist Will Claye is another set to make his return to competition in Walnut, while the women&rsquo;s competition features world leader Keturah Orji, who jumped 14.92m last month, plus Thea LaFond, Tori Franklin, Keturah Orji and Kimberly Williams.
<h3>Stefanidi continues her comeback</h3>
After struggling with a foot injury last year, Olympic pole vault champion Stefanidi is working to rediscover her top form and will look to build on her 4.61m from last weekend in Chula Vista as she goes up against Katie Nageotte and Alysha Newman. KC Lightfoot continues his outdoor season in the men&rsquo;s event after clearing 6 metres indoors and opening with 5.80m in March.
World silver medallist Danniel Thomas-Dodd threw 19.17m in Florida last month and is joined in the shot put by Chase Ealey, Maggie Ewen and Raven Saunders, with&nbsp;Darrell Hill contesting the men's competition.
The women&rsquo;s 5000m, which like the steeplechase events forms part of the evening&rsquo;s Distance Open, includes Molly Huddle and Britain&rsquo;s European medallist Steph Twell.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

Noah Lyles makes his 200m season opener, Rai Benjamin and Shamier Little return to 400m hurdles action and Sha’Carri Richardson looks to continue her fine 100m form at the USATF Golden Games, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series, on Sunday (9).