Two world indoor records fell at the Millrose Games in New York on Sunday, with Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas breaking the mark in the 60m hurdles and Britain’s Josh Kerr crushing compatriot Mo Farah’s record in the men’s 2 miles.
Charlton clocked 7.67 seconds in the hurdles to shave 0.01 seconds off the previous world record set by Susanna Kallur 16 years ago.
“I heard the announcer say something that sounded like ‘world record,’ but it didn’t hit me until I saw my name and time on the clock,” Charlton told World Athletics. “I can’t describe that moment. When I saw that clock, I felt relief. When you set a goal and work towards it all year, and then you achieve it, it makes you feel you’re on top of the world.”
Photo: AFP
Two-time world champion Danielle Williams was second in 7.79 seconds, while Tia Jones, who had the same time as Williams, was given third place.
Kerr, the gold medalist in the 1,500m at last year’s world championships in Budapest, had said that he was taking aim at the record.
The Olympic bronze medalist, who was spotted taking the New York subway to the meeting, ran 8 minutes, 0.67 seconds to break the previous mark of 8 minutes, 3.40 seconds set by British running great Farah in 2015 and pointed a triumphant finger in the air just before the finish line.
“Running two four-minute miles back to back is a little harder than you would think, or I thought anyway — I was so glad I was able to come up with not only the win, but getting that record,” Kerr told reporters.
“[The record] hasn’t really sunk in, but I think that’s the level of athlete I’ve become. I had to roll with the punches throughout the start of my career, pretty good, but not world class, and then to be world class and now I’m world champion, I’m having fun with it,” the Scot said. “Creating big goals to get myself out the door and prove I’m not all talk.”
Grant Fisher broke the US record in finishing second in 8 minutes, 3.62 seconds.
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