Two Jamaican winners at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in New York
NEW YORK, United States — Jamaicans Danielle Williams and Natoya Goule-Topping were winners at Sunday’s New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, a World Athletics Indoor Tour-gold meet at the Ocean Breeze Athletics Complex in Staten Island, New York.
Williams ran back-to-back personal bests in the 60m hurdles, beating fellow Jamaican Britany Anderson while Goule-Topping ran a World leading mark in the women’s 800m.
There were also personal best performances from Anderson, Briana Williams in the women’s 60m and Roneisha McGregor in the women’s 400m.
Williams won with 7.83 seconds and lowered her previous personal best from the 7.84 seconds that she ran to win in Germany a week earlier while Anderson was second with 7.88 seconds, under the 7.91 second she ran to win at the Millrose Games last weekend.
Goule-Topping clocked a season’s best 1:59.62 seconds, the second time under 2:00.00 minutes as she beat American Olivia Baker who ran a personal best 2:00.33 seconds for the silver while Great Britain’s Isabel Boffey was third in 2:01.37 seconds, also a life time best.
Williams ran a personal best 7.09 seconds to lead the qualifiers from the first round, then produced 7.11 seconds to place second in the final, behind American Mikiah Brisco who won with a world leading 7.07 seconds with Destiny Smith-Barnett equalling her personal best 7.14 seconds for third.
Christopher Taylor placed second in the men’s 200m, running 20.81 seconds, behind American Trayvon Brommell’s 20.64 seconds while a second Jamaican, Jahnoy Thompson, was fifth in 21.68 seconds.
Ryiem Forde was eighth in the men’s 60m final with 6.72 seconds after running 6.69 seconds in first round while Omar McLeod failed to get past the first round after running 6.80 seconds.
McGregor ran a life time best 53.01 seconds to place third in the women’s 400m behind American Jessica Beard’s 52.88 seconds and Canadian Kyra Constantine’s 52.96 seconds.
Jordan Scott had just one jump in the men’s triple jump before withdrawing with a sore hamstring and had a mark of 15.60m.
Paul A Reid