Goule, Williams shine at New Balance Indoor meet

JAMAICAN athletes, led by wins from Natoya Goule and Danielle Williams, produced a number of impressive performances at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, the third leg of the World Indoor Tour Gold meets in New York yesterday. Briana Williams, Britany Anderson , Christopher Taylor and Roneisha MacGregor all picked up top-three finishes to add to the wins by Goule and Williams. Goule, a Tokyo Olympic Games 800m finalist, picked up the first win on the day for Jamaica as she posted a season’s best and world-leading time of 1:59.62 for her impressive win in the women’s 800m. After her second-place finish in the event a week ago at the Millrose Games in New York, Goule led from the start to pull off the win ahead of American Olivia Baker who was second in a season’s best 2:00:83. Isabelle Boffey of the United Kingdom was third in 2:01.57.

The women’s 60m hurdles was billed as a big showdown between Jamaica’s pair of Williams and Anderson, and they did not disappoint. It was a battle royal from the start but the experience of Williams, the 2015 100m hurdles outdoor champion, prevailed in the end, winning in 7.83 seconds. Anderson, the 2007 World Under-17 champion, was second in a personal best 7.88, with American Gabrielke Cunningham third in 7.92.

Williams, who is number two in the world in the event, leads the series with 20 points while Anderson is second with 17 points. A top-place finish at the end of the tour will guarantee the overall winner a cash prize of US$10,000 and a wild card entry to next month’s World Indoor Championships in Belgrade

Olympic Games 4x100m relay gold medallist Williams is getting back to her best form of two years ago. She produced a strong performance in the women’s 60 metres, placing second in the final in 7.11 seconds, behind winner and world leader Mikiah Briscoe of the United States, who clocked 7.07. Williams, who was fourth in the event at the Millrose Games, ran the race of her life in the preliminary round after clocking a massive personal best of 7.09 seconds to advance as the fastest qualifier. Williams, who is now third in the event on the world list, improved her personal best by a massive nine hundredths of a second, with her previous best being 7.18.

After his victory in the 400 metres at the Millrose Games, Olympic Games finalist Christopher Taylor stepped down to the 200 metres yesterday and finished a creditable second in the event in 20.81 seconds, behind his training partner in Florida, Trayvon Bromell of the United States. Bromell won the event in 20.64, with Elijah Hall, also of the United States, third in 20.82.

Another Jamaican Olympian, Roneisha MacGregor, finished third in the women’s 400 metres in 53.01 seconds to improve on her fourth-place finish in the event at the 2022 Millrose Games.