Shaunae Miller-Uibo shone Sunday (4 June) at the second annual Adidas Boost Boston Games, as she dominated the unusual 200m in a 21.76 world record, almost a second faster than the second-place finisher American and fellow quarter mile competitor, Natasha Hastings who came in at 22.50 (also under the 22.52 world record set by Allyson Felix in 2010).
“I’m kind of shocked by it,” She continued “I was excited, actually, with the whole street racing, it’s my very first one and the crowd was very exciting”.
The Boston Boost Games, a revamping of the longtime Adidas Grand Prix meet in New York, is a two-day event. The 200 meters is run on a straight Mondo track surface that is of equal length, elevated just above street level, so fans can gather at the base and get an up-close-view of the various races and events on historic Charles Street in the center of Boston. Many of these races featured marquee names including, Miller-Uibo’s male, Olympic counterpart and world record holder Wayde Van Niekerk, as well as Yohan Blake, Tori Bowie and Kelly-Ann Baptiste.
The Bahamian Olympic 400-meter champion is attempting the 200 and 400-meter double at the world championships in August. She ran her personal best in the 200m, 21.91secs, last week (27 May) at Prefontaine Classic.
“I’m always happy when I run fast times in the 200 (meters), it always helps in the 400” said Miller-Uibo.
Like Miller-Uibo, Van Niekerk is also attempting that sprint double, and won his 200-meter race in relative easy fashion in 19.84. He also, has run a personal best in the traditional 200 meters at 19.90 this season. He will be in Jamaica this week for the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston to co-headline with the likes of David Rudisha, Mo Farah and of course a retiring Usain Bolt.
In the Men’s 150, after skirting a few false starts, Yohan Blake, fresh off an impressive 9.93 in the 100 meters at the Jamaican Invitational, was run down by Panamanian Alonso Edward and former St. Jago High School teammate Nickel Ashmeade who ran 15.06 and 15.16 respectively. Blake was just nipped at the line by Ashmeade, in 15.17.
Trinidad and Tobago took both the men and women’s 100 meters, with Baptiste winning in 11.06 and her countrywoman Michelle-Lee Ahye took second in 11.11. Keston Bledman won in 10.21.
Tori Bowie led an all-American field in the women’s 150 meters in a time of 16.30.
