NEW YORK: World record-holder Christian Coleman defended his Millrose Games 60-meter title in a 2023 world-best of 6.47 seconds on Saturday after world 200m champion Noah Lyles was disqualified.
Both Americans are looking to the 100m in August’s World Championships and the 2024 Paris Olympics as top stars took an early status check at the Armory in the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold series meet.
Lyles flinched in the starting block and was disqualified for a false start but protested the decision and was allowed to run.
Coleman jumped ahead at the start and surged to the finish, ignoring the distraction to make the most of his opportunity.
“You’ve got to be a professional in those moments, try to stay composed, stay relaxed and stay locked in, and just execute your race plan,” said Coleman.
Lyles crossed the line next in 6.53 but it was Jamaican Travis Williams who placed second, edging Noah’s brother Josephus Lyles after both ran personal bests of 6.59.
“He’s a great competitor. I knew he would have some closing speed,” Coleman said of Noah Lyles. “Just tried to get to the line first.”
Lyles, the reigning world 200m champion, won the 60 last week in Boston in a personal best 6.51.
Coleman, who set the 60m world record of 6.34 in 2018, won the 2018 world indoor 60m title and took the 2019 world outdoor 100m title.
Kenya’s Noah Kibet won the men’s 800 in 1:44.98, a personal best and season leader. The 18-year-old African, a 2022 world indoor runner-up, beat American Isaiah Harris by .66 of a second.
In the shot put, two-time reigning Olympic champion Ryan Crouser won with 22.58m and reigning outdoor women’s world champion Chase Ealey won on 20.03m — both Americans producing season world bests.
“Really good start to the season for me,” Crouser said.
Reigning 400 world indoor champion Jereem Richards from Trinidad and Tobago won the 400 in 45.84 with American Noah Williams second in 46.20.
Yared Nuguse won the men’s mile in an American record 3:47.38, this season’s world leading time, with Britain’s Neil Gourley second in 3:49.46 and 2022 champion Ollie Hoare of Australia third in 3:50.83.
Britain’s Laura Muir, the Tokyo Olympic 1,500m runner-up, won the women’s mile in 4:20.15. The 29-year-old reigning European and Commonwealth Games champion from Scotland beat American Josette Andrews by .73 of a second.
“It was amazing,” Muir said. “That last lap I said, ‘I haven’t done all this hard work for nothing.’“
Britain’s Josh Kerr, who took Tokyo Olympic 1,500m bronze, won the men’s 3,000 in a meet-record 7:33.47. The 25-year-old Scotsman defeated Guatemala’s Luis Grijalva by .39 of a second.
Reigning Olympic champion Katie Moon cleared a season-leading 4.81m to win the women’s pole vault with fellow American Bridget Williams on 4.76 and 2016 Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi of Greece third on 4.62.
Bahamian Devynne Charlton, last year’s world indoor runner-up, took the women’s 60m hurdles in 7.91.
World 2022 indoor runner-up Aleia Hobbs won the women’s 60 in 7.04 with US compatriot Tamari Davis second in 7.08.
“I’ve been in that weight room,” Hobbs said. “I’m way stronger than I have ever been. Putting the work in and it’s paying off.”
Alicia Monson won the women’s 3,000m in an American record and world leading 8:25.05.
Ajee Wilson, the reigning 800 indoor world champion, stretched her Armory win streak to 19 races over the past decade by winning the 600 in 1:24.85 and Abby Steiner won the women’s 300 in 35.54.
