Track And Field Hitting Drive Phase In Mid-February With Records Tumbling And Athletes Revealing The Quality Of Their Training

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

The New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, building on the successes of the American Track League and some major college competitions, continued the reawakening of track and field in the U.S. on Saturday. 

After a year when the continuity of the sport's steady calendar of events was shattered, athletes have come back with force and aggression in 2021. 

Nobody is holding back. Opportunities to compete are being held dear for what they are -- precious. 

And so on top of three new American records for Elinor Purrier (2-mile), Donavan Brazier (800 meters) and Bryce Hoppel (1,000 meters) and numerous other national records, there were stories of successful returns to competition and displays of personal perseverance layered like a giant cake at spectator-less Ocean Breeze in New York City.

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Olympic 400-meter champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas ran a lifetime indoor best of 50.21 seconds to show that she is ready to go after another gold medal. In January, she lowered her indoor 200 meters time to 22.40.

Former Wisconsin star Oliver Hoare ran an Australian national record in the 1,500 meters with 3:32.35. 

“I love running indoors, even though I’m an Australian,” said Hoare, who won the 2019 NCAA Indoor mile for the Badgers. 

Hoare sprang to the lead on the final lap and led three men under the Olympic standard of 3:35.00. He also moved to No. 7 on the world all-time list. 

After Great Britain's Jake Wightman (3:34.48), 20-year-old University of Washington sophomore Sam Tanner was third in 3:34.72. Tanner broke Nick Willis' New Zealand indoor record as well as the collegiate absolute record of Josh Kerr (3:35.01). 

So imagine the possibility of an NCAA final next month where Tanner mixes it up with the Oregon duo of Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker, who ran the two fastest indoor miles in collegiate history Friday. 

The women's 60 meters was full of storylines. Aleia Hobbs tore through the first round in 7.10 seconds, a time that would hold up as the fastest of the day. She false-started in the final. 

Kayla White won the final in 7.15 seconds, an improvement from her 7.18 time in the first round. 

Candace Hill, who turned pro as a 16-year-old teen phenom in 2015, enjoyed perhaps her best result since high school. She ran a personal-best 7.16 in the first round and held together in the final with 7.19 for third place behind White and Hannah Cunliffe (7.17).

Keni Harrison raced for the first time over 60-meter hurdles in 365 days and produced a world-leading time of 7.82 seconds. 

In the men's 400 meters, training partners and roommates Michael Norman and Rai Benjamin ran inches apart and showed the work they've been putting in. Norman won it in 45.34 and Benjamin was right there in 45.39.

"It was a chance to knock the cobwebs off because it's been more than a year since I (raced) that distance," Norman said. "It's very competitive (with Benjamin) in practice and in competition. It's a fun rivalry and he's an amazing competitor." 

Noah Lyles won the 200 meters in 20.80 after coming back from a 60-meter first round time of 6.76. 

"I've been training a lot of strength and endurance," Lyles explained. "So to run a 60, warm up, shake off any fatigue (and race again), I feel really strong. To be honest, it proved what we are doing is working." 

Trey Culver matched his personal best from three years ago in the high jump, clearing 2.33m (7-7.75) on a second-attempt clearance to gain a world-leading mark and an all-important Olympic Games standard. 

Purrier's American record was the most surprising of the three that were set. The Vermonter chopped eight seconds off Jenny Simpson's record and became the third-fastest woman in history in the 2-mile. 

Purrier now owns the American records in the indoor mile and 2-mile.

Ajee' Wilson raced for the first time in more than a year, breaking the seal on 2021 with a winning time of 2:01.79 in the 800 meters. 

Gabby Thomas showed her expertise in the 300 meters, beating a standout field of Lynna Irby, Kendall Ellis and Kori Carter in a world-leading 35.73.

And perhaps nobody knows how the landscape of the sport can be re-imagined better than Trayvon Bromell, who won the 60 meters decisively in 6.50 seconds. Five years after winning the World Indoor title in the 60 meters, he has come back to the top. 

So much of the calendar remains uncertain, but it is knitting together one event at a time. Athletes are showing up more than ready to compete.

There are now 124 days until the proposed start of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, on June 18.