American Josh Hoey breaks 800m indoor world record in Boston
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Josh Hoey of the US in action during the men's 800m semi-final of the World Athletics Indoor Championships on March 22, 2025.
PHOTO: REUTERS
NEW YORK – American Josh Hoey timed 1min 42.50sec to break the 800m indoor world record at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix meet in Boston on Jan 24.
The 2025 indoor world champion at 800m broke the previous mark of 1:42.67 set by Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer in Paris on March 9, 1997.
The 26-year-old had been closing in on Kipketer’s mark. Last February, he clocked 1:43.24, then the second-fastest time in history, in New York.
On Jan 24, he settled in behind his brother Jaxson Hoey, who acted as pace-setter, and sailed home without a hitch.
“I just slotted in behind Jax and just tried to stay calm behind my brother and let him lead me,” Hoey said. “The last 200 I could feel just the support of everyone, and the work of the last couple of months just bottomed out and I’m happy I got that time.”
Hoey had narrowly missed out on the US teams for both the 2024 Olympics and the 2025 outdoor World Championships.
American Hobbs Kessler set an indoor world best in the 2,000m, finishing in 4min 48.79sec to eclipse the 4:49.99 set by Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele on Feb 17, 2007.
Down the stretch he outran compatriot Grant Fisher, who was second in 4:49.48.
“Oh, that felt so good,” Kessler said after what was, for him, a redemptive run. “I was super-deeply disappointed with how last summer went,” he said.
“I didn’t make the US team, I ran poorly at Diamond Leagues, and it was really hard to get training again because I worked really hard and I figured nothing came of it.”
He also holds the world-best time in the short track 600m.
Sprint star Noah Lyles opened his season in the rarely raced 300m. The Paris Olympic 100m gold medallist and four-time 200m world champion finished second in 32.15.
He was edged out on the line by his training partner from Trinidad and Tobago, Jareem Richards (32.14).
Jamaican Ackeem Blake won the men’s 60m in 6:53sec. Eloy Benitez of Puerto Rico was second in 6:56, just edging out American Jordan Anthony, who was third in 6:57.
Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith won the women’s 60m in 7.08.
Over on ice, there was also a world record set on Jan 24.
Norwegian Sander Eitrem, 23, shattered the men’s 5,000 metres world record at the Speed Skating World Cup at the Max Aicher Arena in Inzell, Germany.
He won in 5min 58.52sec to become the first to skate the distance in under six minutes.
The previous record of 6:00.23 was set last November by Frenchman Timothy Loubineaud in Salt Lake City.
Eitrem, who finished third in the long distances overall standings, has hit peak form in perfect time for the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, which begin on Feb 6. AFP, REUTERS
