Ireland’s breakthrough 800m star Cian McPhillips looks set for another big year ahead after defeating a high-class field to win the men’s 600m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston on Saturday (25).
The opening World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting of the season was characterised by outstanding endurance performances, led by a world indoor 800m record for USA’s Josh Hoey (1:42.50) and a world indoor 2000m best for his compatriot Hobbs Kessler (4:48.79).
But McPhillips, who set a new Irish record of 1:42.15 when placing fourth in the men’s 800m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last year, was in top form once again.
He left former world indoor champion Bryce Hoppel and his USA teammate, 2019 world champion Donavan Brazier, in his wake to win in a short-track personal best of 1:16.37.
Sisk sets European best as Ostrowski and Wightman impress
Behind Hoey’s record-breaking run, Poland’s Filip Ostrowski also impressed in Boston, finishing second in an 800m indoor personal best of 1:44.68.
In the 2000m, while Kessler grabbed the headlines up front, Belgium’s Pieter Sisk clocked 4:52.41 in third place, while world 1500m silver medallist Jake Wightman finished fourth, setting a British record of 4:53.69.
There was also a British double in the sprints, with 2024 European 100m champion Dina Asher-Smith winning the women’s 60m in 7.08 and Nicole Yeargin taking the women’s 400m in 52.63.
In the women's 1500m, Klaudia Kazimierska finished third in a Polish indoor record of 4:01.78 and there was a Turkish record for Silan Ayyildiz who finished eighth in the 3000m in 8:42.29, breaking a national record which had previously belonged to Yasemin Can.
Photo courtesy of kevmfoto / World Athletics