LONDON, ENGLAND, July 23 — At almost opposite ends of the program, Noah Lyles and Ryan Crouser produced performances which confirmed their status as prohibitive favorites to defend their WC titles.
Lyles, running in lane 6 in the 200, was level with Zharnel Hughes on his outside as the pair came off the bend and the Briton ran should-to-shoulder with Lyles and put the 2-time world champion under pressure for the next 50 before the latter found another gear and pulled away to win in a world-leading 19.47, the No. 10 all-time performance.
Out in lane 8, Botswana’s 2-time world U20 champion Letsile Tebogo came through fast in the final quarter of the race to take 2nd in an African Record 19.50 while Hughes tired slightly but still clocked a 19.73 NR, just 0.01 shy of the ancient European and former World Record of Italian icon Pietro Mennea which has stood since ’79.
“I said it would be fast, and it was. The 200 will always be mine, that’s my wife right there,” joked Lyles, who has now not been defeated over the furlong since the Tokyo OG two summers ago final.
“It is my first time in this stadium and now it is my third-best time ever, so it is special. I am so glad we didn’t run yesterday in the wind and rain. The sun came out today and it all went to plan.”
Lyles will probably not run another 200 before he goes to Budapest and bids for a world title 3-peat in the longer sprint.
“From here, it’s pure training then relay camp. I love relay camp because you are working with the fastest guys in the U.S.,” he added.
Two hours earlier, before many of the 50,000 spectators in the 2012 Olympic Stadium — the biggest crowd in the world so far this year for a one-day meet — had settled into their seats, Ryan Crouser produced a UK all-comers and meet record with 75-8¼ (23.07).
His best effort came in the 5th round but in a series of superlative qualitative and high-level consistency — arguably one of the best ever and possibly only eclipsed by his six throws at the LA Grand Prix in May which contained his 77-3¼ (23.56) WR.
Crouser rattled off 6 valid efforts: 72-4¾ (22.07), 74-2¾ (22.63), 74-1¾ (22.60), 74-3½ (22.65), 75-8¼ (23.07) and 74-4 (22.66).
“I was a bit concerned with us being a bit early on in the program, but the crowd still filled so many seats and really cheered us on throughout,” said Crouser. “I felt my performance was very consistent today. The fifth round was my best throw and a really good indicator for the World Champs which will be my next competition.”
Just a glance at Crouser’s stats shows how dominant he is with the 16lb ball.
Of the 12 competitions where there has been a 23-meter put, 8 have been won by Crouser. With his 6 on Sunday, he has now amassed a staggering 240 puts over 22m. In both cases, it seems like there are many more to come.
Spare a thought for New Zealand’s Tom Walsh, who reached 74-¾ (22.58) in 2nd but still finished almost half-a-meter in arrears. (Continued below)
Two-time 110H world champion Grant Holloway will have more rivals to worry him in Budapest than Lyles or Crouser but he was not far off his season’s best of 12.98 when he sped to victory over the barriers in 13.01.
“I got off the plane two days ago, so I’ve been working through jet lag and just so proud of myself for today’s performance,” said Holloway.
Yared Nuguse raced 3:30.44, the second-best time of his career, to win the 1500, just overhauling Norway’s Narve Gilje Nordås in the last few meters. However, the early pace up to the bell was just a little adrift of what took Nuguse to the fastest-ever U.S. time in Oslo last month and meant another improvement will have to wait until another day despite a blistering 54-flat last lap.
“The first half of the race I was trying to stay relaxed and connected and by the end I managed to keep it up. Next, I’ll be training for the Worlds in St. Moritz then off to Budapest where I am hoping to medal. It will be my first time at a World Championships, but I know I have the potential so now I’ve just got to do it,” Nuguse said.
JuVaughn Harrison also got a morale boosting victory in the high jump, clearing 7-8½ (2.35) with his second attempt and with daylight between his torso and the bar, to defeat Qatar’s 3-time world champion Mutaz Barshim.
LONDON MEN’S RESULTS
200(1.6): 1. Noah Lyles (US) 19.47 (WL, AL)(x, 10 W; x, 4 A) (10.19/9.28); 2. Letsile Tebogo (Bot) 19.50 NR (6, =12 W) (10.23/9.27);
3. Zharnel Hughes (GB) 19.73 NR (10.20/9.53); 4. Kyree King (US) 20.01; 5. Alexander Ogando (DR) 20.14; 6. Emmanuel Matadi (Lbr) 20.35; 7. Joe Ferguson (GB) 20.44.
(best-ever mark-for-place: 3)
400: 1. Wayde van Niekerk (SA) 44.36; 2. Bryce Deadmon (US) 44.40; 3. Vernon Norwood (US) 44.46; 4. Matthew Hudson-Smith (GB) 44.72; 5. Leungo Scotch (Bot) 44.98; 6. Ryan Willie (US) 45.39; 7. Liemarvin Bonevacia (Neth) 45.51; 8. Alex Haydock-Wilson (GB) 45.59.
Non-DL 800: 1. Max Burgin (GB) 1:43.85; 2. Ben Pattison (GB) 1:44.02 PR; 3. Alex Botterill (GB) 1:44.75 PR; 4. Guy Learmonth (GB) 1:44.80; 5. Thomas Randolph (GB) 1:44.88 PR; 6. Ethan Hussey (GB) 1:44.96 PR;… rabbit—Erik Sowinski (US) (49.77).
1500: 1. Yared Nuguse (US) 3:30.44 (x, 6 A) (57.4, 56.7 [1:54.1], 56.2 [2:50.3], 40.1) (12.9, 26.5, 54.0, 1:50.7, 2:19.2);
2. Narve Gilje Nordås (Nor) 3:30.58; 3. Neil Gourley (GB) 3:30.60 PR; 4. Elliot Giles (GB) 3:30.92 PR; 5. Matthew Stonier (GB) 3:31.30 PR; 6. Stewart McSweyn (Aus) 3:31.42 (2:49.83); 7. Adel Mechaal (Spa) 3:31.43; 8. Timothy Cheruiyot (Ken) 3:31.44; 9. Azeddine Habz (Fra) 3:31.58; 10. Sam Tanner (NZ) 3:31.60; 11. Mario García (Spa) 3:31.68; 12. Adam Spencer (Aus) 3:31.81 PR; 13. Cole Hocker (US) 3:32.14; 14. Andrew Coscoran (Ire) 3:32.42;… rabbit—Sowinski (56.13, 56.08 [1:52.21]).
(best-ever mark-for-place: 11–14)
110H(1.3): 1. Grant Holloway (US) 13.01; 2. Shunsuke Izumiya (Jpn) 13.06; 3. Jamal Britt (US) 13.25; 4. Hansle Parchment (Jam) 13.26; 5. Tade Ojora (GB) 13.27; 6. Joshua Zeller (GB) 13.82; 7. Freddie Crittenden (US) 14.83.
Non-DL 4 x 100: 1. Japan 37.80 (=WL) (Koike, Sakai, Yanagita, Ueyama);
2. Great Britain 38.00; 3. Great Britain B 38.14; 4. Germany 38.21; 5. Switzerland 38.53; 6. Australia 38.62.
Field Events
HJ: 1. JuVaughn Harrison (US) 7-8½ (2.35) (AL) (7-2½, 7-4¼, 7-5¼, 7-6½ [2], 7-7¾ [=AL] [3], 7-8½ [2], 7-9¼ [xxp]) (2.20, 2.24, 2.27, 2.30 [2], 2.33 [3], 2.35 [2], 2.37 [xxp]);
2. Mutaz Barshim (Qat) 7-7¾ (2.33); 3. tie, Joel Clarke-Khan (GB) & Thomas Carmoy (Bel) 7-5¼ (2.27); 5. Andrii Protsenko (Ukr) 7-4¼ (2.24); 6. Hamish Kerr (NZ) 7-4¼; 7. Tobias Potye (Ger) 7-2½ (2.20); 8. Donald Thomas (Bah) 7-2½.
SP: 1. Ryan Crouser (US) 75-8¼ (23.07) (x, 10 W, A) (72-5, 74-3, 74-1¾, 74-3¾, 75-8¼, 74-4¼) (22.07, 22.63, 22.60, 22.65, 23.07, 22.66);
2. Tom Walsh (NZ) 74-1 (22.58) (71-4¼, 74-1, 72-1, 71-2½, 71-5¼, 73-2½) (21.75, 22.58, 21.97, 21.70, 21.77, 22.31); 3. Joe Kovacs (US) 71-9 (21.87); 4. Payton Otterdahl (US) 71-4 (21.74); 5. Jacko Gill (NZ) 69-3¼ (21.11); 6. Filip Mihaljević (Cro) 69-1¼ (21.06); 7. Tomáš Staněk (CzR) 69-½ (21.04); 8. Leonardo Fabbri (Ita) 68-9¾ (20.97); 9. Scott Lincoln (GB) 67-2¼ (20.48);… nm—Josh Awotunde (US).
DT: 1. Daniel Ståhl (Swe) 219-11 (67.03) (f, 212-10, f, 219-11, f, f) (f, 64.89, f, 67.03, f, f); 2. Matt Denny (Aus) 219-0 (66.77) (212-2, 215-4, 213-7, 219-0, 211-6, 214-9) (64.67, 65.64, 65.11, 66.77, 64.46, 65.47); 3. Kristjan Čeh (Slo) 216-7 (66.02); 4. Alex Rose (AmS) 215-1 (65.56); 5. Andrius Gudžius (Lit) 214-9 (65.47); 6. Lawrence Okoye (GB) 205-4 (62.59); 7. Sam Mattis (US) 202-10 (61.83).