BOSTON – South African Wayde van Niekerk easily won a 200 metres straightaway race, and fellow Olympians Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Tori Bowie clocked the fastest times ever in two other infrequent races at the Boston Games street meeting on Sunday.
Van Niekerk, the 400m world record holder, cruised home in 19.84 seconds on an especially built elevated track on Boston’s Charles Street that enabled fans to watch up close.
He defeated American BeeJay Lee by 0.33.
“It was challenging,” Van Niekerk told reporters. “To be honest, I thought I did a 400. It was a bit tough.”
The Olympic 400m champion was tuning up to run both the 200 and 400 at August’s world championships in London.
“I’ve still got a lot of work to do and have a lot of areas I need to look into,” he said. “But it was a positive win for me today.”
For @waydedreamer, the 200 meter straight went by in 19.84! #adidas, #whyirunboston, #adidasBoostBoston, #gamupdates pic.twitter.com/keHTBmXqvF
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) June 5, 2017
Fellow South African sprint star and Olympic finalist Akani Simbine took part in the 100m on the same track, and finished second behind Keston Bledman of Trinidad and Tobago, although both athletes were credited with the same time of 10.21.
Bahamian Olympic women’s 400m gold medallist Miller-Uibo wiped out American Allyson Felix’s 200m straightaway world best with another runaway victory.
She finished in 21.76 in taking out Felix’s 2010 best of 22.55 at the Manchester, England, street meet.
Typically, 200m races are run around a bend, and only those are recognised as world records. Jamaica’s Usain Bolt has the men’s record of 19.19 and American Florence Griffith Joyner holds the women’s mark at 21.34.
Wayde van Niekerk 19.84 (0.6) misses 200m WORLD RECORD! while slowing down 🏃💨🔥🔥 #adidasBoostBoston
— Sports4Life (@Sports4Life007) June 4, 2017
Bowie, a double sprint medallist at Rio, took down another Felix world best in the women’s 150m straightaway, running 16.30.
Felix set the previous best of 16.36 at Manchester in 2013.
London Olympic champion Jenn Suhr was upset in the women’s pole vault by Canadian Alysha Newman, who cleared 4.60 metres.
Suhr claimed second with a vault of 4.50m.