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GOING FOR GOLD: Dalilah Muhammad broke the world record in the 400m hurdles

THE 2019 USATF Outdoor Championships closed with a bevy of national title-winners and record-breakers, highlighted by a new world record and intense battles for top podium position at Drake University.

Rain had just begun when the women’s 400m hurdles lined up for a final that included the reigning Olympic champion, the Rio bronze medallist, the defending champion, the 2015 Worlds bronze medallist, and the world U20 record-holder who led the 2019 world list coming into the meet.

CRUISED

Everyone got out well, but Rio Olympic gold medallist Dalilah Muhammad burst off the first curve in lane four and closed the gap on Shamier Little and Sydney McLaughlin to her outside.

She turned on the afterburners at 160 metres and cruised around the final curve, with McLaughlin and Ashley Spencer on her heels. Clearing the final barrier cleanly, it was a run for home for Muhammad against the history books.

Sprinting the final 20 metres, Muhammad stopped the clock at a (pending) world record 52.20, taking down a global mark that had stood since 2003 when Russia’s Yuliya Pechonkina ran 52.34. McLaughlin was second in a season best 52.88, Spencer third with a personal record 53.11.

Muhammad, 29, said she was “still in shock”, but acknowledged she had thought about the world record all season.

“Funny enough, I got a little injured like two weeks ago,” she said. “I had a crazy fall and so we’ve kind of been shutting down. It’s just one of those things that you’re just hoping for the best... I just trusted in what we had been working on at this point.”

Featuring an anime hairstyle and owner of the fastest time in the world this year and the second-fastest American in history, Noah Lyles stamped himself as the Doha favourite in the 200m with a convincing 19.78 win that put him in front of 100m champ Christian Coleman, who picked up silver in 20.02. Ameer Webb was third in 20.45.

Running her fastest time since 2015, Dezerea Bryant sped to gold in the women’s 200m in 22.47, leading from start to finish as Brittany Brown, the USATF Indoor 300m winner in February, made her first US team with a 22.61 in second.

FLEW

USC’s two-time NCAA champ, Angie Annelus, also grabbed a berth on her first American squad with a third-place 22.71.

The year-long battle between 2019 SEC champion and NCAA runner-up Daniel Roberts and NCAA champion Grant Holloway continued in Sunday’s final of the men’s 110m hurdles. Roberts ew over the barriers in 13.23 and held off Holloway who dove for second in 13.36. Rio ’16 fth-placer Devon Allen came up for bronze in 13.38.

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