THE 2 BIG U.S. INVITATIONALS of January received specialized coverage, but they didn’t have a monopoly on major marks:
600 World Record For Keely Hodgkinson
The 3-lapper isn’t an official WR event, but the women’s version has a new all-time fastest performer in Keely Hodgkinson. The 20-year-old Briton cranked out circuits of 26.9, 27.7 & 28.8 as her 1:23:41 in Manchester just squeaked past the 1:23.44 set by Russia’s Olga Kotlyarova back in ’04.
“I expected to break the World Record,” Hodgkinson told BBC Sport. “It’s a lot different chasing times than it is chasing positions because times it’s literally all-out and you’ve got to hope you’ve got enough in there. It was nice to start the season with something fun and accomplish what I set out to do.”
Janeah Stewart Grabs Share Of Weight Best
And then there were two. Two women who have thrown the 20-pound weight 84-0 (25.60). Janeah Stewart, throwing at the Vanderbilt Invitational, matched Gwen Berry’s feat on her final throw.
It was part of a fine series by the 25-year-old Ole Miss alum: 78-10¼, 83-2 (4, 4 W, A), f, f, 82-8½ ([x, =8 W, A), 84-0) (24.03, 25.35, f, f, 25.21, 25.60). While USATF recognizes the weight for AR purposes, it’s not on WA’s list of WR events.
The World Indoor Tour Is Up And Running
WA’s gold-level World Indoor Tour kicked off in Karlsruhe, Germany. The men’s vault was a thriller, with American KC Lightfoot, Aussie Kurtis Marschall and Greece’s Emmanouíl Karalís all clearing 19-1½ (5.83) and finishing in that order on the countback. On the women’s side, Dina Asher-Smith PRed with a 7.09 in the 60 heats then won the final in a British Record 7.02. ◻︎