Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Noah Lyles Impress at USATF NYC Grand Prix
The 2024 USATF NYC Grand Prix, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold, held at Icahn Stadium in New York on June 9, featured top-tier athletes from around the globe. Among the standouts was Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the current Olympic gold medalist and world record holder in the 400m hurdles.
McLaughlin-Levrone clinched a victory with a time of 48.75 seconds, narrowly missing Sanya Richards-Ross' American record from 2006 by just five hundredths of a second. Despite this, her performance remained impressive, given she recorded a similar time of 48.74 in July of the previous year.
Focused primarily on the 400m hurdles, McLaughlin-Levrone confirmed her intent to compete in this event at the upcoming Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. She also participated in the 100m hurdles and 200m races earlier this season, strategies aimed at enhancing her endurance and speed for her main event.
In the men’s category, Noah Lyles emerged victorious in the 200m, registering a time of 19.77 seconds, overcoming a challenging headwind and a start delay caused by issues with the starting blocks. While Kenny Bednarek holds the year's fastest time at 19.67, Lyles' performance further solidified his reputation on the track.
The women's 100m was won by Nigeria's Favour Ofili, who posted a time of 11.18 seconds, contending with a strong headwind. Elaine Thompson-Herah from Jamaica, a celebrated two-time Olympic champion, finished last, later attributing her performance to physical discomfort during the race and subsequently needing assistance off the track due to an injury. This development casts uncertainty on her participation in the upcoming Jamaican Olympic Trials, though medical exemptions are possible in their selection process.
Other notable outcomes included the disqualification of Fred Kerley, the 2022 World Champion, in the men's 100m for a false start, with Nigeria’s Udodi Onwuzurike taking the win in 10.24 seconds. The women's 100m hurdles saw victory for Bahamian Devynne Charlton, who clocked 12.56 seconds, outpacing competitors such as world record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria and world champion Danielle Williams of Jamaica.
The USATF NYC Grand Prix remains a pivotal event in the athletics season, offering athletes a vital opportunity to gauge their performance and secure their positions for the global stages ahead.
