ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, February 18 — The fields may have been thin, very thin, a function of this not being a World Indoor year, as well as the modest prize money ($6000 per victory), but fans were treated to some exciting women’s contests on the final day of the USATF Indoor, topped by a near-perfect sprint from Aleia Hobbs.
Hobbs’s performance came in the meet’s penultimate race. The only American Record of the day — at least at this meet — came when Hobbs blistered the start and ran with supreme confidence to a 6.94 that took down the 6.95 that Gail Devers set 30 years ago in winning gold at the World Indoor in Toronto. Runner-up Marybeth Sant Price couldn’t get close with her 7.09.
“I knew for me to get the record I had to get out of the blocks,” said Hobbs. “In the prelim my block start wasn’t all that good so I knew I needed to just get out and finish like I usually do.” Of becoming No. 2 in world history, she said, “Unbelievable. It has been a long time coming.”
Before Hobbs took to the track, the crowd in the Convention Center saw some other fun races:
If Anna Hall felt the aftereffects of putting together history’s second-best pentathlon, it didn’t show when she stepped on the track for the 400. After winning her heat in an easy 53.66, she came back on Saturday to capture the title. She got out hard, led Na’asha Robinson at halfway 23.38–23.54, and lengthened that margin all the way to the finish, her PR 51.03 more than a second ahead of Robinson’s 52.30.
It was the first successful multi/400 double in meet history. It was harder than it looked, she said, “I was just trying to hang on for dear life.”
Patience was the key for Nia Akins in the 800. She passed halfway in a decent 59.64, but that put her dead last, as Laurie Barton (59.09) led Kaela Edwards and Samantha Watson at the front. Akins started putting herself in position over the next lap, moving up to 4th as Edwards (1:29.87 at 600) seemingly had the race in hand.
Akins and Allie Wilson both moved hard on the last circuit, and when Wilson passed Edwards, they both went wide, leaving enough room for Akins to sneak past on the inside. All three scored indoor PRs: Akins 2:00.16, Wilson 2:00.33, Edwards 2:00.52. Said Akins, “It was either be patient or make a really bold move.”
World shot leader Chase Ealey scored a comfortable win…
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