by Alfonz JuckThe 2022 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix was held today, Sunday, February 6, 2022, on Ocean Breeze Track & Field Facility. It looked great on TV, and our team on Staten Island let me know how amazing the event was.
This is only the 3rd time I have missed the meet in 27 years. The pandemic is partly responsible, so I had to watch it from Wisconsin. I am providing several voices for you to enjoy the competition.
Adel Mechaal, with his fans, 2022 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, photo by Jeff Benjamin
Mechaal 7:30.82 ER, Holloway 7.37 opener
NEW YORK (USA, Feb 6): European record, four World leads and five meeting records highlighted the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix at Ocean Breeze Athl. Complex (WIT Gold). Spanish runners provided highlights, Adel Mechaal won the 3000 m in new European indoor record 7:30.82 (also MR) and five more runners dipped under 7:40. Andrew Butchart 7:37.42 PB ahead of Guatemala´s Luis Grijalva 7:37.42 NR, Jake Wightman also PB 7:37.81, German Maximilian Thorwirth 7:38.14 PB and Jonas Raess Swiss record 7:39.49. Sensational Spanish win in the 800 m by Mariano Garcia with overall PB and WL 1:45.12 clearly over Bryce Hoppel 1:46.08 and Dutch Tony Van Diepen 1:46.49. Women 800 m also got a WL as Jamaican Natoya Goule posted 1:59.62 beating Olivia Baker 2:00.33. World champion Grant Holloway opened the season with very fast meet record and WL 7.37 in the 60 m hurdles beating NCAA star Trey Cunningham 7.47 and Devon Allen 7.51. Only him and five other runners are having faster times in the indoor history. Fourth World lead in women 60m as Mikiah Brisco posted 7.07 (equaled MR) over former World U20 champion Briana Williams from Jamaica 7.11 (but 7.09 PB in heats). With fast finish Canadian Gabriela Debues-Stafford improve the national indoor record in the 3000 m to excellent 8:33.92 beating Ethiopian steeple specialist Mekides Abebe who ran her first ever indoor competition 8:36.31 and US Josette Norris 8:37.91 PB. Ireland´s Andrew Coscoran won the mile in big PB 3:53.64 (3:38.80) over Colby Alexander 3:53.83 (3:37.65 at 1500 m) and Luke McCann 3:53.87 (3:39.02). World champion at the 200 m Noah Lyles won the 60 m in 6.56 PB. Trayvon Bromell in his first indoor 200 m in last six years got 20.64 meet record. 200 m World medalist Jereem Richards won the 400 m in 45.83 indoor PB, Olympic medalist Gabrielle Thomas posted 36.21 in the 300 m over Lynna Irby 36.42. Jamaican one-two in women hurdles, Danielle Williams 7.83 PB ahead of Brittany Anderson 7.88 PB. Esther Guerrero clocked 4:11.87 and won for Spain also women 1500 m (later was pacing 3000 m), Briton Lorraine Ugen got 671 (also MR) to win the long jump, Donald Scott 16.68 the triple and Jessica Beard 52.88 in the 400 m were the remaining winners.
