Crouser, Nageotte and 60m sprinters to headline the Millrose Games in New York
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Olympic champions Ryan Crouser, Athing Mu, and Katie Nageotte and sprinters Trayvon Bromell, Christian Coleman, Noah Lyles, and Ronnie Baker will be in the spotlight at the 114th edition of the Millrose Games at the Armory Track in New York.
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Men's shot put: Crouser battles against Kovacs
Double Olympic champion Ryan Crouser will renew his rivalry against Joe Kovacs at the Millrose Games. Crouser broke the world indoor record with 22.82m in Fayetteville and the 31-year-old world outdoor record held by Randy Barnes, throwing 23.37m at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene. The US shot put star won his second consecutive Olympic gold medal with 23.30m. All six of his throws were further than his own previous Olympic record.
Crouser also won two Diamond League meetings in Eugene with 23.15m and Lausanne with 22.81m. He completed his successful season with his first Diamond Trophy in Zurich, improving the meeting record to 22.67m. He has remained undefeated for two seasons and has thrown beyond the 22 meters barrier 163 times.
Ryan Crouser: "I am excited to return to the Millrose Games to showcase one of the US strongest events. It's an honor to compete in one of the top indoor meetings at such a historic venue".
Joe Kovacs won the world outdoor gold medal in Doha 2019, setting his personal best of 22.91m, beating Crouser and Tom Walsh by 1 cm in one of the most incredible shot put competitions in history. Kovacs threw over the 22 meters in Tokyo to win his second consecutive Olympic silver medal with 22.65m.
Joe Kovacs: "I am excited to come back to compete at the Millrose Games. The 2022 season will be one to remember in the United States, and it starts at the Armory. I look forward to competing against the rest of the field in front of family, friends, and the very knowledgeable New York track and field community".
Crouser has won at the previous two editions of the Millrose Games, beating Kovacs both times.
The lineup also features Payton Otterdahl, who finished third at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene last year and holds a PB of 21.81m; Josh Awotunde, who set a PB of 22.00m in Padua last September, and Italian champion Nick Ponzio, who improved his PB to 21.72m and won at the Golden Gala in Rome in 2020.
Men's 60 meters: Bromell takes on Lyles, Coleman, and Baker
Trayvon Bromell leads a world-class lineup that features Noah Lyles, Ronnie Baker, and Christian Coleman.
Bromell set his PB in the 100 meters with 9.77 in Miramar last June and won the US Trials final in Eugene in 9.80. He improved his own world seasonal best to 9.76 in his final race at the Continental Tour Gold in Nairobi last September. Bromell won the world 60m indoor title in Portland, clocking his PB with 6.47 in 2016, and set his seasonal best in 2021, clocking 6.48 in Fayetteville.
Trayvon Bromell: "This will be my first time at the Millrose Games, and I am looking forward to something great."
Ronnie Baker set the third fastest 60m time in history, clocking 6.40 at the US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, and won the world indoor bronze medal in Birmingham with 6.44 in 2018. Last summer, Baker finished fifth in the Olympic final in the 100 meters in 9.95 in Tokyo after clocking 9.83 in the semifinal.
Christian Coleman set the world indoor record, clocking 6.34 at the US National Championships in Albuquerque, and went on to win the world indoor title in Birmingham in 6.37. Coleman claimed two world outdoor gold medals in Doha in the 100m in 9.76 and the 4x100 relay with 37.10. The sprinter born in Atlanta was banned for anti-doping whereabouts failures and made his return this year with a 33.20 clocking in the 300m on an oversized track in Lexington.
World 200 champion Noah Lyles returns to the Millrose Games, where he finished second in 2018. Lyles set his 60m indoor PB of 6.57 in Boston in 2018. Lyles won the Olympic bronze medal in the 200m in Tokyo in 19.84 and set the world-leading time of 19.52 over this distance at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene last August.
The four US sprinters will be joined by Jamaica's Omar McLeod, who won the Olympic title in Rio de Janeiro 2016, the world outdoor gold medal in London 2017 in the 110m hurdles, and the world indoor title in the 60m hurdles in Portland 2016 in his PB of 7.41. McLeod is the only athlete in history to clock a sub-13 time in the 110m hurdles (12.90) and a sub-10 time in the 100m (9.99). He also holds a 60m PB of 6.61. McLeod clocked an outdoor seasonal of 13.01 in the 110m hurdles at the Diamond League in Florence in 2021.
Women's pole vault: Nageotte lines up against Morris
In a star-studded women's pole vault competition, Olympic champion Katie Nageotte will clash against Sandi Morris.
Nageotte won the Olympic Trials final, improving her outdoor PB to 4.95m before claiming the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo with 4.90m. The pole vaulter from Ohio also won three Diamond League competitions in Doha (4.84m), Monaco (4.90m), and Eugene (4.82m). She finished second at the Millrose Games in 2018 with 4.71m. Nageotte will compete for the first time since she no-heighted at Zurich's Wanda Diamond League meeting.
Katie Nageotte: "I am excited to be back at the Millrose Games this year. It's one of my favorite meets and a great place to jump".
Morris won three silver medals at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and in two consecutive editions of the World Outdoor Championships in London 2017 and Doha 2019. She won the world indoor title in Birmingham with 4.95m. She set the Armory Track record clearing 4.91m at the 2020 edition of the Millrose Games. She holds the third-best performance outdoors with a 5.00m set in Brussels in 2016 and cleared 4.88m indoors last year.
Women's 60 meters hurdles: Harrison leads the lineup
World 100m hurdles champion Kendra Harrison headlines the 60m hurdles field. Harrison won the last edition of the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in New York (a World Indoor Gold meeting) in 7.82 and claimed her first world indoor title in Birmingham in 2018, equalling the US record with 7.70m. She won two silver medals at the World Championships in Doha 2019 behind Nia Ali and at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021 behind Jasmine Camacho Quinn.
Harrison set the fastest time in the world this season, clocking 7.81 at the Clemson Invitational on 14 January.
Christina Clemons won the world indoor silver medal in Birmingham behind Harrison and set her PB of 7.73 in 2018 (the second-fastest time in the field).
The lineup features three more Tokyo Olympic finalists: Jamaica's Britany Anderson, who won the world under 18 gold medal in Nairobi 2017 and finished eighth after improving her lifetime best to 12.40 in the semifinal in Tokyo; Devynne Charlton from the Bahamas, who placed sixth, and seventh placer Gabbi Cunningham, who set her PB of 12.53 in the Olympic Trials final in Eugene.
Men's 60m hurdles: Allen against Roberts
Devon Allen and Daniel Roberts headline the men's 60m hurdles. Allen set his indoor PB of 7.49 in 2018 and finished fourth at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. In the post-Olympic meetings, Allen won the Lausanne Athletissima meeting and the Diamond League final in Zurich before dipping under the 13 seconds barrier for the first time in his career, clocking 12.99 in Zagreb. Allen will face Daniel Roberts, who finished second to Grant Holloway at the NCAA Championships indoors in the 60m hurdles with 7.41 and outdoors in the 110m hurdles with 13.00 and won the US Championships title with 13.23 in 2019. The other top names are Jason Joseph, who won the European under 23 gold medal in the 110m hurdles in 2019 and set the Swiss record of 13.12 in La Chaux de Fonds last August. Also in the men's 60m hurdles are Panamerican silver medallist Freddie Crittenden and Michael Dickson, who hold the same PB's of 7.53 in the 60m hurdles.
Women's 60 meters: Gabby Thomas headlines the field
Gabby Thomas leads the lineup in the women's 60 meters. The US sprinter won the 200 meters at the Olympic Trials clocking 21.61, setting the third-fastest time in history, and won the Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo in 21.87, the second-fastest time of her career, before winning the silver medal in the 4x100 relay. Thomas set her 60m PB of 7.21 in Fayetteville last year.
Gabby Thomas: "I am excited to open my 2022 season at the Millrose Games. It will be a great opportunity to work on my speed against some of the top sprinters in the country".
Thomas will clash against 19-year-old Jamaican rising star Briana Williams, who clocked 10.97 in the 100m in Jacksonville and won the Olympic 4x100 gold medal in Tokyo. The lineup also features Aleia Hobbs, who clocked 7.10 in the 60 meters in Baton Rouge and won both the NCAA and US Championships titles in 2018. Also in the field is English Gardner, who won the Olympic Trials final in Eugene in 2016 in the 100 meters in 10.74, and the Olympic gold medal with the 4x100 relay in Rio de Janeiro. Mikiah Brisco, the US 60m champion indoors with 7.04 in Albuquerque in 2020, is also in the lineup.
Women's long jump: Tara Davis in the spotlight
Tara Davis will grab the headlines in the women's long jump. The 22-year-old long jumper from Texas set the NCAA outdoor record jumping 7.14m in Austin last spring and scored the double by winning both NCAA titles indoors with 6.93m in Fayetteville and outdoors with 6.70m in Eugene. Last summer, she finished second at the US Trials in Eugene with 7.04m and sixth at the Olympic Games in Tokyo with 6.84m and improved her PB in the 100m hurdles to 12.75. Davis will face Sha'Keela Saunders, who won the US title in 2018 and holds a PB of 6.90m, and Keturah Orji, who finished fourth in the triple jump with 14.71m at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro 2016.
Women's 800 meters: Wilson set to continue her winning streak in New York
Wilson won six times at the Millrose Games and has not lost a race at this meeting since 2013. She broke her own US 800m indoor record, clocking 1:58.29 at the 2020 Millrose Games. She won two consecutive world indoor silver medals in Portland 2016 and Birmingham 2018 and two world outdoor bronze medals in London 2017 and Doha 2019 and set an outdoor PB of 1:55.61 in Monaco in 2017.
Ajée Wilson: "It's been a while since I last competed at the Millrose Games. Last year, the meeting was canceled due to the pandemic. I am super excited to return to the Armory for the Millrose Games".
Wilson will take on the world and Olympic finalist Natoya Goule-Toppin from Jamaica, who holds the national indoor and outdoor records. Goule Toppin clocked a lifetime best outdoors of 1:56.15 in Monaco in 2018. Last year she won the second Diamond League race in Brussels in 1:58.09. Wilson holds a 27-3 lead in her head-to-head races against Goule. The Jamaican middle distance runner beat Wilson in the Olympic semifinal before finishing eighth in the final.
Women's Wanamaker Mile: Purrier St. Pierre goes up against Klosterhalfen
Elle Purrier St. Pierre and Konstanze Klostehalfen will clash in the women’s Wanamaker Mile.
Klosterhalfen won the Wanamaker Mile in 2019 and went on to win the world 5000m bronze medal in the 5000m in Doha. The multiple German record holder finished eighth in the 10000m at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. In mid-January, she set an early world lead of 8:39.35 at the Nelson Invitational in College Station. This is the fourth-fastest indoor time in her career and her fastest performance since 2019 when she won the European Indoor silver medal in Glasgow.
Purrier St. Pierre won the 2020 Wanamaker Mile in 4:16.85, setting the US indoor record and the second-fastest time on the world indoor all-time list. WITH THIS PERFORMANCE, the US middle-distance runner improved her North American indoor record to 9:10.28 in the 2 miles, moving her to third place in the all-time world list. Last June, she won the 1500m at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene in a championship record of 3:58.05. She went on to finish 10th in the Olympic final.
Elle Purrier St. Pierre: "I am really looking forward to racing the Wanamaker Mile this year. This race has always been special for me, and I certainly missed it last year. It's one of the most prestigious and historic races. It's always fun and competitive, just the way I like it".
Reigning Olympic 800 meters champion Athing Mu will test her shape over the mile distance. Mu ran the 1500 meters once in 4:16.06 last year and warmed up for the New York race with a 4:37.99 in the mile in College Station (Texas) last week.
Mu was undefeated over this distance indoors and outdoors. She won the US Olympic Trials in 1:56.07 in Eugene before claiming two Olympic gold medals in the 800 meters and the 4x400 relay in Tokyo. In the Japanese capital, she improved Wilson's US record with 1:55.21 ending a 53-year Olympic win drought for the USA. The last US 800m Olympic champion was Madeline Manning at the 1968 Summer Olympic Games. Mu completed the double by winning her second Olympic gold medal in the 4x400 in 3:16.85.
In her first post-Olympic race, Mu improved her North American record to 1:55.04 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene.
During the 2021 indoor season, Mu broke Sanya Richards' world under 20 indoor record in the 400 meters clocking 50.52, and ran 1:58.40 in the 800m to set the NCAA indoor record and the world under 20 record. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, she won the 400m final, improving her collegiate record to 49.57. Last November, Mu was named the 2021 Female Rising Star by World Athletics.
Athing Mu: "Millrose is the ideal place to begin my season. The audience brings great energy, and I always look forward to the atmosphere and competing at the Armory. It's iconic".
Cory McGee and Heather MacLean, who finished second and third at the US Trials behind Purrier St. Pierre, will join the field. McGee finished 12th in the Olympic 1500m final, and MacLean reached the semifinal.
The lineup also features Josette Norris, who broke the 4 minutes barrier and finished third in the 1500m at the Diamond League final in Zurich last September; Jessica Hull, Australian record holder with 3.58.81 and who was second in the 3000m in College Station last weekend with 8:39.79 behind Klosterhalfen. Spanish middle distance runner Esther Guerrero and US Olympic Trials fourth placer Shannon Osika are also in the field.
Men's Wanamaker Mile: Kerr clashes against Hoare
Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Josh Kerr will clash against Olympic finalist Olver Hoare from Australia in the Wanamaker Mile.
Kerr ran Great Britain's second-fastest time in history when he won the Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo in 3:29.05. The 24-year-old British middle-distance runner won the NCAA indoor title in the mile in College Station in 2018.
Josh Kerr: "The Wanamaker Mile has always been a staple in my indoor season. There is no race like it. I am rested and ready to get stuck in after a successful Olympics".
Hoare finished second in the 2020 Wanamaker Mile and eleventh in Tokyo's Olympic 1500 meters final. The Australian middle distance runner won the 2018 NCAA 1500m title while a student at the University of Wisconsin.
Oliver Hoare: "The Wanamaker Mile is one of the most prestigious mile races in the world. To go and compete again for the third time is a privilege. Don't be surprised if you see speedy times come out of New York".
Two-time Olympic medallist Nick Willis aims to run a sub-4 minute time in the mile for the 20th consecutive year. Clayton Murphy, the Olympic bronze medallist in the 800m in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and US Trials winner over this distance with 1:43.17 in Eugene last June, rounds out the lineup with world finalist Craig Engels.
Men's 800 meters: Saruni headlines a strong field
Kenya's Michael Saruni returns to New York's Armory Track, where he won the Millrose Games in 2019, setting the African Indoor record and the fastest indoor time ever achieved on US soil with 1:43.98. Saruni is currently third in the all-time world indoor list behind Wilson Kipketer and Elliot Giles and set his outdoor PB of 1:43.25 in Tucson in 2018. He clocked the previous world best for the indoor 600 meters with 1:14.79 in Albuquerque in January 2018.
Michael Saruni: "It will be really great to come back to the Armory Track and the Millrose Games, where I had such a great winning race."
Saruni will take on Bryce Hoppel, who finished second at the 2020 Millrose Games in 1:45.70. Hoppel placed fourth at the World Championships in Doha 2019 and set the seventh-fastest time in the world indoor list with 1:44.37 in Fayetteville last year. The lineup also features last year's NCAA champion Isaiah Jewett, who finished second at the US Olympic Trials with 1:43.85 in Eugene and reached the semifinal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Isaiah Harris won the NCAA outdoor title in 1:44.78 in 2018 will join the lineup.
The field also features four more Olympians: Jesus Lopez, who set the Mexican outdoor record with 1:43.44 in Marietta last July; Charlie Hunter from Australia, who improved the Oceanian indoor record to 1:45.59 in Fayetteville in February 2021; Saul Ordonez, who holds the Spanish record with 1:43.65, and Mark English, Irish record holder with 1:44.84 and European outdoor bronze medalist in Zurich 2014.
Men's 3000 meters: Spotlight on Cole Hocker
Oregon University student Cole Hocker is among the five Olympians and eight individual NCAA winners who will line up in the 3000 meters in New York. Hocker won two NCAA titles in the mile indoors and in the 1500m outdoors and finished sixth in the 1500m at the Olympic Games, improving his PB to 3:31.40. Hocker will face his former University of Oregon teammate Cooper Teare, who won the NCAA 5000m title and set the NCAA Indoor mile record with 3.50.39 last year. The lineup also features two-time NCAA cross country champion Conner Mantz, who recently clocked 1:00.55 to win the US half-marathon title.
Men's 400 meters: Brazier steps down in distance
Reigning 800 meters, world outdoor champion Donovan Brazier will step down in the distance to test his speed in the 400 meters. Brazier set the North American records outdoors with 1:42.34 at the World Championships in Doha 2019 and indoors with 1:44.21 in New York in 2021. The US 800m specialist set his indoor 400m PB of 46.91 during his college days in Texas.
Brazier will take on Olympic 400m finalist Christopher Taylor from Jamaica, who finished sixth in the Olympic final, improving his PB to 44.79. Also, the field includes the 2015 world 4x400 relay champion Vernon Norwood, who set his outdoor PB of 44.40 at the US National Championships in Des Moines in 2019 and holds an indoor PB of 45.31.
Women's 400 meters: Rogers tests her speed
Olympic 800 meters bronze medallist Raevyn Rogers will test her speed in the women's 400m. Rogers, who holds an outdoor PB of 52.06 in the 400 meters and clocked 53.19 indoors, will go up against Madeline Jonathas, who finished fourth at the World Championships in Doha with 49.60, Jessica Beard, who clocked 50.38 last year, and Jamaica's Roneisha McGregor, who ran 50.02 in 2021.
Women's 3000 meters:
USA'Alicia Monson will run against Weini Kelati in the women's 3000 meters less than three weeks after their clash at the US Cross Country Championships, where Monson took the title.
