NEW YORK – Devynne Charlton set a women’s 60-meter hurdles world record and Britain’s Josh Kerr established a men’s two-mile world best on Sunday at the 116th Millrose Games indoor track meet.
Charlton, the 2022 world indoor champion from the Bahamas, won the 60m hurdles in 7.67 seconds, breaking the old mark of 7.68 set by Sweden’s Susanna Kallur in 2008 at Karlsruhe, Germany.
“I knew I had it in me but it took a lot to put that race together,” said Charlton.
“I felt good in my prep heading up to today. I got the start that I needed. I just held it. I can’t say it was more than that.”
Charlton, 28, won by 0.12 of a second over Jamaica’s Danielle Williams, who won her second 100m outdoor world title last year, with American Tia Jones third in the same time.
Against a world-class field, Charlton made herself the woman to beat in next month’s World Indoor Track and Field Championships at Glasgow.
“I knew it was there,” Charlton said of her record run. “But it’s all about executing the race and crossing the line first. So many of these ladies have the capability to do it.”
Kerr’s winning two-mile time of 8:00.67 shattered the old mark of 8:03.40 set by Britain’s Mo Farah in 2015 at Birmingham, England.
“It was always going to be really tough, small margins,” Kerr said. “I wanted to make sure I lose as little energy as possible.
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“At 300 to go I was like it’s now or never, I’m either not going to make it to that line or I’m hopefully going to break that world record.”
Kerr charged at the finish to defeat Grant Fisher, who set an American standard in the event with a runner-up finish in 8:03.62.
“Grant was so strong. I sat on him for a while,” Kerr said. “He did so much of the work so thank you so much for that. And then just closed it down the last 600.”
Kerr, a 26-year-old Scotsman, won last year’s 1,500m world outdoor title and took bronze in the event at the Tokyo Olympics.
St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred won the women’s 60m title in 6.99, the fastest time in the world this year.
American Christian Coleman, a former world outdoor 100m and world indoor 60m champion, won the men’s 60 in 6.51, which was .17 off his world record from 2018 and .07 off the year’s world best by Noah Lyles last week.
Japan’s Abdul Hakim Sani Brown was second in 6.54 and Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake third in 6.55.
“I was just happy to win really. It was a world-class field,” Coleman said. “I feel like I could have done some better things. I’ll clean it up for next weekend.”
That’s when Coleman faces a showdown with Lyles at US indoor nationals.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Coleman said.
American Chris Nilsen won the pole vault clearing 5.82m while Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh took the women’s high jump with a 2.00m effort.
American Bryce Hoppel won the men’s 800m in 1:45.54 while Allie Wilson took the women’s 800 in 2:01.61.
Dylan Beard was a surprise 60m hurdles winner in 7.44 to lead a US podium sweep.
“Just came out here to have some fun. I knew the field was stacked,” he said. “Wanted to be in the mix. I did a little better than that.”
Elle St. Pierre won the women’s mile in an American record 4:16.41 with Jessica Hull second, breaking her own Australian record in 4:19.03.
Yared Nuguse, the American son of Ethiopian-born parents, won the men’s mile in 3:47.83.
