World Outdoor 100-meter hurdles gold medalist begins pursuit of third career global indoor 60-meter hurdles title with victory in Boston; Brazier delivers another dominant 600, Hull sets Australian indoor 1,500 record in first pro win and Purrier produces impressive 2-mile performance

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

BOSTON – If there were any signs of rust, Nia Ali sure didn’t show it.

The way Ali swiftly glided over each hurdle Saturday evening in the middle of the Reggie Lewis Center at the 25th edition of the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, one would have no idea this was her first indoor track race in nearly two years.

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“(It’s) super exciting for me. Indoor is a special place,” Ali said. “I was able to be a two-time indoor champion.”

Ali, who is coming off a gold medal performance in October at the World Outdoor Championships in Doha, where she won the 100-meter hurdles in a personal-best time of 12.34 seconds, started her 2020 indoor campaign off strong, claiming the 60-meter hurdles title in 7.94 to edge fellow American Christina Clemons (7.98).

“I never win at the beginning of my season, so I’m so grateful,” Ali said.

The victory Saturday marked the fastest start ever to an indoor season for her. Ali will next race Feb. 8 at the 113th NYRR Millrose Games in New York and then prepare to claim her third World Indoor title in March.

“Just to go out there and try and be better than I was today,” she said of her plans for Millrose.

For the veteran hurdler, chasing another World title and preparing for a run at the 2020 Olympics, is tasked with raising two young children. Her son, Titus, was 15 months old when she captured silver at the 2016 Games in the 100 hurdles.

“It happened so fast,” Ali said of it being another Olympic year. “I blink, my son is four, he’ll be five, time really flies. I always say, I’m getting the hang of it, (but) I’m still learning new things and new ways to make sure I’m always being proactive and being present in the moment.”

In the women’s 2-mile, Elinor Purrier of New Balance Boston used a strong final 200 meters to move past fellow American Emma Coburn (9:32.81) and South African Dominique Scott (9:31.98) to win in a personal-best 9:29.17.

Purrier will race the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in two weeks.

“I knew it was going to be a kick to the finish,” said Purrier, who elevated to the No. 5 all-time American indoor 2-mile performer.

For Coburn, Saturday’s race marked her only one of the indoor season. The 3,000-meter steeplechase specialist won’t be competing in any Diamond League meets during the outdoor season.

Coburn has been vocal about the changes to the circuit, which include stripping the steeplechase, among other events, of their Diamond League status and removing them from the final.

“I didn’t know what to expect from today, I thought I could be challenging for a win,” Coburn said. “I liked how it felt. I really root for Elle; I enjoy watching her career grow, and she’s just become a dominant force, not only on the U.S. stage, but world stage.”

In the women’s 1,500, it was a battle of teammates, Konstanze Klosterhalfen of Germany and Jessica Hull of Australia.

The two are part of the yet-to-be-named group coached by Pete Julian in the aftermath of the dissolving of the Nike Oregon Project following the Alberto Salazar suspension in October. Saturday, the pair broke away from the field slightly and made it a battle for first down the straightaway with Hull edging out Klosterhalfen to claim her first win as a professional by a 4:04.14 to 4:04.38 margin. Ciara Mageean eclipsed the Irish indoor record by placing third in 4:06.42.

“I was just trying to be strong through the finish line,” said Hull, who broke the Australian indoor 1,500 record.

“Last season that was exposed as my weakness, so I just had an opportunity today to practice that and I was pretty excited that I had been patient enough to wait. It was awesome to share essentially the entire race with my training partner.”

Added Klosterhalfen: “It was my first time with her in a race, and it’s nice to see her progress.”

The men’s 1,000 lived up to the billing as newly turned 800-meter professional, Bryce Hoppel, took down Great Britain’s Jake Wightman with a strong final kick to catch him at the line and win in personal-best 2:17.41. Wightman was second in 2:17.51.

“I knew it was going to hurt a little just tacking on that last 200,” Hoppel said of running the 1,000.

In the last event of the evening, Donavan Brazier impressed as he won the 600 in a time of 1:14.39, just off his own world best of 1:13.77 set at last year’s U.S. Indoor Championships in New York.

Brazier, also coached by Julian, said one element he is working on this year is not taking any races for granted, something he thought he may have done Saturday. Brazier, who will race the 800 at Millrose – Hoppel is scheduled to race the event as well – said the goal and focus is just to try and make it to Tokyo.

Other highlights included Great Britain’s Chris O’Hare winning the Tommy Leonard Memorial men’s mile (3:59.62), beating New Zealand’s Nick Willis (3:59.89).

American Obi Igbokwe won the Jesse Loubier Memorial men’s 400 (46.5), Demek Kemp claimed the men’s 60-meter dash title in a world-leading 6.50, and in the men’s 3,000, Kenya’s Bethwell Birgen surged past fellow countryman Edward Cheserek to win in a speedy time of 7:44.21. Cheserek was second (7:46.74).

Former Harvard star Gabby Thomas captured the women’s 300, running 36.52 in the first of two timed finals.

In the two field events, American Amina Smith cleared 6-2.25 (1.89m) to win the women’s high jump, with Spain’s Pablo Torrijos prevailing in the men’s triple jump with a fifth-round effort of 54-11.50 (16.75m).

It was announced earlier in the afternoon by New Balance that Sydney McLaughlin would not be racing in the 500, as she was “a little tight from traveling.” McLaughlin was on hand all evening to watch and signed autographs at the end of the meet.