Two of the best sprinters in the world, the Americans Noah Lyles, who is eyeing the 100m this season, and Christian Coleman, will spice up the 60m on Saturday at the 115th “Millrose Games”, one of the oldest indoor athletics meetings, in New York.
A week after slamming his best performance over this distance indoors in Boston (6 sec 51), Lyles will be keen to confirm against Coleman, who still holds the world record for the short distance (6.34 in 2018) and the had won during the last edition on the Armory Track in Manhattan (6.49), ahead of Lyles, 4th.
A convincing win and time could only boost the confidence of two-time reigning 200m world champion Noah Lyles, who ruled the corner at Worlds in Eugene, Oregon last summer with the third fastest time. of history (19 sec 31).
At 25, he is also hungry for victories over the queen distance of the 100m, as the Budapest Worlds (August 19-27) and the Paris-2024 Olympics are looming. But at a press conference in New York on Thursday, he agreed his “biggest weakness” is the first 20 yards and his acceleration off the start, which he wants to make “smooth as butter”.
– like a puzzle –
The Florida native, who likes to put on a show and express his enthusiasm, compares his progress to that of a puzzle.
At the start, “you’re happy to have the corners, but you’re even happier when you start to fill in the middle (…) I feel like I’m on the last ten pieces, seeing the image and getting closer to the end, there are only a few pieces left,” he explained.
Coleman, 26, cannot display the same confidence, he who missed his meeting at the Worlds in August 2022 (6th in 100m), the year he returned from 18 months of suspension for violation of anti-doping rules.
At 26, the Atlanta native is still waiting to regain his level of the 2019 Worlds in Doha, where he was crowned in the 100m in 9 sec 76, a time which promised him a possible reign over the discipline, before his suspension. .
On the women’s side, the 60m will see the defending United States champion in the 100m, Melissa Jefferson, and her runner-up, Aleia Hobbs, who has just won the distance in Boston. Mikiah Brisco, 2nd at the Indoor Worlds over 60m in 2022, will also be in the running.
Among the other confrontations on the program of these “Millrose Games”, the American female pole vaulter, Katie Nageotte, world champion and Olympic champion in title, will try to confirm her domination, in particular against the gold medalist of Rio-2016, the Greek Katerina Stefanidi.
Finally, in the men’s shot put, a great duel will also pit the undisputed master of the discipline, the American Ryan Crouser, against his runner-up and compatriot Joe Kovacs.
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