Super showdown: Lyles, Baker, Knighton at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix

Anthony Foster
By Anthony Foster 4 Min Read
DOHA, QATAR - OCTOBER 01: (L-R) Adam Gemili of Great Britain, Noah Lyles of the United States, and Alex Quiñónez of Ecuador compete in the Men’s 200 Metres final during day five of 17th IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 at Khalifa International Stadium on October 01, 2019 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images for IAAF)

NEW YORK, New York – Noah Lyles, the reigning world champion at 200m, will face off against Ronnie Baker and Erriyon Knighton in the 60m dash at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, organizers announced today (14 Jan).

Traditionally held in Boston, the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix will once again be temporarily relocated and held at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island, New York.
Tickets for the event on Feb. 6, which forms part of the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold, are now on sale at www.nbindoorgrandprix.com or by calling 1-877-849-8722.

Making his second appearance at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in as many years, Lyles will be looking to add the meet’s 60m title to the one he captured over 200m in 2021, a season that saw him win the Olympic bronze medal and record the fastest time in the world for 200m. Challenging Lyles for the win will be both Ronnie Baker, the 2018 World Indoor Championships bronze medalist at 60m and the fifth placer in the 100m at last year’s Olympic Games, and Erriyon Knighton. The teenage sensation finished fourth in Olympic 200m final and was crowned 2021 Male Rising Start of the Year by World Athletics.

Another exciting clash is shaping up in the women’s 3000m, led by the previously announced Elinor Purrier St. Pierre. She broke the American record for two miles at last year’s New Balance Indoor Grand Prix and was a finalist over 1500m at last year’s Olympic Games. Facing Purrier St. Pierre in the 3000m will be Gabriela DeBues-Stafford, the Canadian indoor and outdoor record-holder at 1500m and the mile and fifth place finisher over 1500m at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Also featuring in the women’s 3000m will be Emma Coburn, the 2017 world champion in the 3000m Steeplechase, as well as Amy-Eloise Markovc and Julie-Anne Staehli, who each set British and Canadian national records respectively over two miles at last year’s New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.

The women’s 300m will see a pair of Olympic medalists clash, with Gabby Thomas and Lynna Irby set to race over the classic indoor distance. Thomas won last year’s US Olympic Trials over 200m in a stunning 21.61, making her the third-fastest woman in history, and went on to win the bronze over the same distance at the Olympic Games in Toyko, as well as the silver medal as part of the USA’s 4x100m.

The 2022 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix will be shown live on NBC from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 6 and is a founding member of the World Athletics Indoor Tour. The series of the best indoor athletics events around the world awards overall tour winners $10,000 and a guaranteed spot at the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

In accordance with the regulations of the City of New York, all persons ages five and older attending the 2022 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix must show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be allowed access to the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.

Now in its 27th year, the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix has played host to nine world records and 16 American records.

Other top athletes already confirmed for the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix include:

• 60m hurdles world record-holder and Olympic silver medalist Grant Holloway will make his New Balance Indoor Grand Prix debut.

• 2021 world number one at 100m Trayvon Bromell will be lining up over 200m.

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