Noah Lyles “flew” in his first test of the year and aims to Usain Bolt’s records

The Boston Grand Prix, which was part of the 2024 World Indoor Tour, marked the start of the season for American Noah Lyles and the fastest man in 2023 started the year with a personal record.

Lyles won the 60-meter race with a time of 6.44, which allowed him to lower the 6.51 he had as his best record in the distance and beat the meeting record held for 25 years by the American Maurice Greene by one hundredth.

Lyles beat the Jamaican Ackeem Blake (6.45) and the American Ronnie Baker (6.54), who completed the podium in the final. “I knew that my first 10 meters were always going to be a little slow, but as long as I’m there for everyone, I don’t care. All I could think about was winning. That’s all that matters,” said the world champion in the 100 and 200 meters in Budapest 2023 (outdoors).

Noah Lyles’ next goal: the world title in Glasgow

In the year of the Olympic Games, the first major event for athletics will be the Indoor World Cup that will take place in Glasgow from March 1 to 3 and where Lyles will be present, who after the victory in Boston made it clear what his objective will be.

“I knew I was in shape, but not that fit. My confidence has now skyrocketed. We’re going for a world indoor medal!” , said the 26-year-old sprinter, who for the first time will compete in an Indoor World Cup and will seek to get closer to 6.34 that record holder Christian Coleman has.

This great start in Boston delighted Lyles with more: “It only makes me think about outdoor competitions as well. Why not world records? Why aim for something small when we can aim high?”

If he’s aiming for world records, Lyles is aiming for Usain Bolt. The Jamaican legend owns the marks in the 100 (9.58) and 200 (19.19), while the American’s best records in those distances are 9.83 and 19.31 (national record).

The Boston Grand Prix, in pure records

The American Tia Jones was another of the leading figures in Boston when she won the 60-meter hurdles with 7.72, which left her only four hundredths of the indoor world record. In addition, the meeting record was also lowered by the same distance between men by Grant Holloway, who won with 7.37 and has not defeated the event for 10 years.

Canadian Marco Arop (world champion in 800 meters) won the 1000 meters in 2:14.74 and set a North American indoor record, while Australia’s Jess Hull set the ocean record in 3000 meters with 8:24.93. Other records of the meeting were broken by the Ethiopian Lamecha Girma in the 3000 men’s (7:29.09) and Gudaf Tsegay in the 1500 women’s (3:58.11), while in the long jump it was won by the Jamaican Carey McLeod (8.20 meters) and the American Tara Davis-Woodhall (6.86).