LOS ANGELES – DeAnna Price delivered a world record of 26.02m to win the women’s weight throw on Friday at the United States Indoor Track and Field Championships in New Mexico, while world 200m champion Noah Lyles advanced easily in the 60m.
Price, the 2019 outdoor hammer throw world champion, twice broke the old mark of 25.60m set by fellow-American Gwen Berry at the 2017 US meet.
The 29-year-old broke Berry’s record with an effort of 25.77m in the third round, before extending the mark with her fifth throw. Reigning world outdoor hammer throw champion Brooke Andersen was second with24.97m.
The weight throw, the indoor equivalent to the hammer throw, is not recognised by World Athletics as an official discipline.
“It’s absolutely phenomenal,” said Price, who could not stop smiling in her post-event interview.
“My coach said, ‘Hey, we got this’, and we kept pushing it and pushing it. And last week, we knew something big was in the tank. But we didn’t know how big!
“Did I ever think I will hit 26m? No! I’m going to celebrate this win and all the excitement but now the real moment counts, I’m going to get ready for the world championships in Budapest (in August).”
Lyles reached Saturday’s 60m semi-finals by winning his first-round heat in 6.60sec.
The two-time reigning 200m world champion, who clinched an Olympic bronze in the event at Tokyo, had won the Boston Indoor Grand Prix in a personal best of 6.51sec earlier in February.
“I’m just getting into the flow of things again and I think, as the days go on, the rounds go on, I will continue to get better,” he said.
Elsewhere in Australia, Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet overhauled favourite Letesenbet Gidey with a stunning late burst over the last 100m to clinch the women’s cross-country world title on Saturday.
Jacob Kiplimo later won the men’s title for Uganda but only the approach of a thunderstorm about to sweep over the Bathurst racetrack was able to offer drama comparable to the women’s race.
World 10,000m champion Gidey had broken to the front on the final climb out of the swampy “Billabong” section of the course and looked to be coasting to the line when Chebet put on a late burst and overtook her.
Ethiopian Gidey tried to react but fell to the ground as world 5,000m silver medallist Chebet crossed the line in 33min 48sec.
Gidey was illegally helped to her feet and stumbled over the finishing line, but was later disqualified. AFP, REUTERS
