2023 Deji’s Doodles, #1: Bromell romps to sixth-all time in indoor 60m, Ofili breaks five records and Bol proved her prowess for the second week running!

Bromell romps to sixth-all-time in indoor 60m, Ofili breaks five records and Bol proved her prowess for the second week running

Deji’s Doodles returns back for the first time this year and what a week we had so far in athletics. The indoor season is finally in full swing and we have been thrilled to breathtaking performances from world-class athletes. From the Millrose Games in New York to World indoor tour Silver meet in Berlin, we weren’t short of talking points. 

Femke Bol is looking scary ahead of the outdoor season

We know Dutch sprint hurdler Femke Bol is a class apart over the 400m Hurdles. Although she has fallen short of current 400mH record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone over the distance in the last year, her form this indoor season continues to prove that the latter should be a tad worry. 

At the world indoor silver tour meet in Metz, France, Bol blazed to an astonishing 49.96 for 400m and 22.87 for 200m. The former was more impressive that the former for varying degrees of reasons. Bol became the first woman to break 50s over the 400m indoors in seventeen years as she moved to fourth on the all-time list with the usual suspect Jarmila Kratochvilova topping the list with 49.59. 

Just Femke Bol doing her thing 😱

4️⃣9️⃣.9️⃣6️⃣ 400m 🤯#WorldIndoorTour

pic.twitter.com/JsA2b5R0dG

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) February 11, 2023

All of these came off the backdrop of Bol opening her season in Boston last weekend with a world indoor best of over 500m. The stars are aligning and perhaps these performances are increasingly looking like the Dutch star is prepping up towards attacking the women’s 400m world record this year. 

With world and Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo retiring from the 400m and taking a year out due to pregnancy and former world champion Salwa Eid-Naser’s return still making her rusty, this presents her the perfect opportunity to become a world champion. 

Some may ask if this recent display will have a positive outlook on her signature event in the hurdles. Maybe yes. But still, McLaughlin-Levrone’s 50.68 world record looks impossible to take down even for an athlete as special as Bol. 

Favour Ofili’s decision not to turn Professional is paying dividends 

Louisiana State University’s sprinter Favour Ofili burnt herself to the limit last season. Over 60 races for school and country, a semifinal appearance at the world champs, and two medals at the Commonwealth Games, Star girl as she is fondly called would have been forgiven if she decided to sign the big shoe contract and turn professional. 

After all, she ran a Personal Best and National Record of 21.96s outdoors to become the first collegiate runner to dup inside 22s. Well, until Abby Steiner happened. That shouldn’t shake her, but it’s become glaring why her coach at LSU, Dennis Shaver made her wait one more year to refine some aspects of her race. 

The junior at LSU started her season with a blast but it is was her performance at the Tiger Paw Invitational over the 200m that got tongues waxing lyrical. Ofili shattered the indoor 200m African Record with a new 22.36s. It instantly became the world lead and collegiate lead over the distance. It also became the second-fastest time in Collegiate history. The day before, Ofili ran an astonishing PB of715s to finish second over the 60m. 

Watch Favour Ofili power to an African Record & World Lead of 22.36s to win the women’s 200m at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville! pic.twitter.com/nP0iM47G2v

— oluwadare (@Track_Gazette) February 11, 2023

Surely, there is still more in the tank from Ofili this year. She will set her sights on getting those indoor collegiate titles, the one Steiner beat her to last year. In hindsight, it’s been a fine decision to stay one more year in college. 

Trayvon Bromell is getting back to pristine shape

Seven years ago, at 20, US sprinter Trayvon Bromell was on top of the world. Fresh out of college, he had just become the world indoor champion and made his way to the Tokyo Olympics. Until tragedy happened. He got injured in Rio and since then he has struggled to reach his peak form.

Although last year, the track world witnessed a glimpse of the 2016-shape-Bromell, it is his last race at the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson that saw him not only run himself into the record books by becoming the sixth fastest man over the 60 with his 6.42s win, it also laid down the gauntlet to his opponents about his new found form. He had run 6.46 in the semis, too. 

6️⃣.4️⃣2️⃣ for @TrayvonBromell over 60m in Clemson 🇺🇸

That mark moves him up to the 6️⃣th place on the all-time list 👀

pic.twitter.com/x5zq3gZHlk

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) February 11, 2023

Bromell knows it won’t be an easy ride as she builds himself towards the outdoor season, but it’s always better to show your hand and put trepidation in the minds of your rivals than you doing the chasing. Either way, it’s a win-win for track fans who have always wanted to see some of the most precocious talents square up on the biggest stage. Brace yourself up for the world champs in Budapest. 

Near false start by Nyckoles Harbor, near disqualification for Noah Lyles, and a win for Coleman, the Millrose Games was a thrill

Noah Lyles vs Christian Coleman was the marquee event at this year’s Millrose games. On face value, it looked like a mismatch considering how Coleman had brushed aside all and sundry in the indoor 60m in the last five years. He holds the world record at 6.34s, he’s a former world champion, and no one on the circuit can match his blistering start. Well, maybe Olympic Champion, Lamont Jacobs beat him by three thousand of a second in the final of the world indoor championships in Belgrade in 2022.

But here was his compatriot Lyles, who is more of a 200m specialist and went unbeaten over the distance all season, coming shoulder-to-shoulder with him.  Although it felt strange to pit them against each other, there was a feeling Lyles’ recent performance at the New Balance Grand Prix would give him a good chance against the almighty Coleman. 

There was a green card issued to everyone when Nyckoles Harbor raised his hands on the first call, and then Lyles’ twitch saw him disqualified, but like it’s done in non-championship races, he was allowed to run. Coleman ran 6.47 for the win, with Lyles’ coming through for second with 6.53-although the time won’t count. 

It was a race that showed plenty, but also very little. Still, the signs are looking good for both sprinters.