RANDALLS ISLAND, NEW YORK, June 09 — Technical issues with the starting blocks held up the men’s 200 at the USATF NYC Grand Prix, but when the race finally went off, Noah Lyles came out with a convincing win in his specialty.
In his season debut at the distance, the only challenger he faced was a -1.7 wind. Despite that, he clocked 19.77, much to the delight of the crowd at Icahn Stadium on Randalls Island. Joseph Fahnbulleh took 2nd in 20.15.
“I said yesterday that I wanted the world lead, but I guess the wind had a disagreement there,” said Lyles, who has spent the spring focusing on the 100, running a season’s best 9.85 the previous week in Kingston. “I feel like I got the power for sure. I’m trying to find the rhythm again. This was my first 200, but I still expected something fast.”
Lyles was targeting the 19.67 WL that Kenny Bednarek clocked in Doha in May, but admitted that a mid-race adjustment may have cost him some time. “At 60 or 70 meters into the turn, I slowed down to make sure my positions were correct,” he said. “I lost a bit of speed, but I am OK with that. I’d rather have a good position going out of the turn.”
Not long before that race, there was a similar blocks-related delay in the 100. After the first start was called back, Fred Kerley’s blocks slipped on the next try, which may have caused him to jump the gun. Irritated by the situation (as well as a fractured relationship with his sponsor), he ultimately scratched from the race.
“I slipped the first time, I slipped the second time, and I was not gonna let it happen a third time,” said the ’22 world champion. In his absence, Udodi Onwuzurike edged Kendal Williams for the win, 10.24 to 10.25, into a -0.7 wind.
In the 400, Kirani James was only 4th coming off the final turn, but the Olympic and world champion overhauled the field to win in 44.55. Chris Bailey (44.73) also closed well to outlean Wayde Van Niekerk (44.74) and Jereem Richards (44.82).
“This meet always has such a great crowd,” said James. “There’s a lot of Grenadians here, we have a huge diaspora in New York and I’m just glad that I could make them happy and proud today.”
Jake Wightman’s comeback from injury continued with a well-timed kick that gave him the 1500 win over Eric Holt. Off a conservative pace, Wightman, the ’22 world champion, covered the last lap in 52.29 for…
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