NEW YORK — Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas, the 2022 world indoor champion, set a women’s world indoor 60m hurdles record of 7.67 seconds at the Millrose Games in New York.
Charlton broke the old mark of 7.68 set by Sweden’s Susanna Kallur in 2008 at Karlsruhe, Germany, to win the race by 0.12 of a second over Jamaica’s Danielle Williams with American Tia Jones third in the same time.
“I knew I had it in me but it took a lot to put that race together,” said Charlton.
Two world indoor records fell in New York with Charlton breaking the mark in the 60-metre hurdles and Britain’s Josh Kerr crushing compatriot Mo Farah’s record in the men’s two miles.
“I heard the announcer say something that sounded like ‘world record’ but it didn’t hit me until I saw my name and time on the clock,” Charlton told World Athletics.
“I can’t describe that moment. When I saw that clock, I felt relief. When you set a goal and work towards it all year, and then you achieve it, it makes you feel you’re on top of the world,” she added according to Reuters.
Two-time world champion Danielle Williams was second in 7.79, while Tia Jones, who had the same time as Williams, was given third place.
Kerr, the gold medallist in the 1,500 metres at last year’s world championships in Budapest, had said in recent weeks that he was taking aim at the record.
The Olympic bronze medallist, who was spotted taking the New York subway to the meeting, ran eight minutes 0.67 seconds to break the previous mark of 8:03.40 set by British running great Farah in 2015 and pointed a triumphant finger in the air just before the finish line.
“Running two four-minute miles back to back is a little harder than you would think, or I thought anyway; I was so glad I was able to come up with not only the win but getting that record,” Kerr told reporters.
“(The record) hasn’t really sunk in but I think that’s the level of athlete I’ve become.
“I had to roll with the punches throughout the start of my career, pretty good but not world class and then to be world class and now I’m world champion I’m having fun with it,” the Scot added.
“Creating big goals to get myself out the door and prove I’m not all talk.”
Grant Fisher broke the American record in finishing second in 8:03.62.
