NEW YORK, Jan 25 — American Josh Hoey clocked 1min 42.50sec to break the 800m indoor world record at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix meeting in Boston on Saturday.

Hoey, the 2025 indoor world champion at 800m, broke the previous mark of 1:42.67 set by Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer in Paris almost 30 years ago, on March 9, 1997.

The 26-year-old American had been closing in on Kipketer’s mark, coming close last year when he clocked 1:43.24, then the second-fastest time in history, in New York.

On Saturday he settled in behind his brother Jaxson Hoey, who acted as pace-setter, and sailed home without a hitch.

“I just slotted in behind Jax and just tried to stay calm behind my brother and let him lead me,” Hoey said.

“The last 200 I could feel just the support of everyone, and the work of the last couple of months just bottomed out and I’m happy I got that time,” added Hoey, who narrowly missed out the US teams for both the 2024 Olympics and last year’s outdoor World Championships.

American Hobbs Kessler set an indoor world best in the 2,000m, using a stunning late burst to finish in 4min 48.79sec and eclipse the mark of 4:49.99 set by Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele on February 17, 2007.

Down the stretch he out-dueled compatriot Grant Fisher, who was second in 4:49.48.

“Oh, that felt so good,” Kessler said after what was, for him, a redemptive run.

“I was super-deeply disappointed with how last summer went,” he said “I didn’t make the US team, I ran poorly at Diamond Leagues, and it was really hard to get training again because I worked really hard and I figured nothing came of it.”

Sprint star Noah Lyles opened his season in the rarely raced 300m. The Olympic 100m gold medalist, also a four-time World Champion at 200m, Lyles finished second in 32.15, edged out on the line by his training partner from Trinidad and Tobago, Jareem Richards (32.14).

Jamaican Ackeem Blake won the men’s 60m in 6:53sec. Eloy Benitez of Puerto Rico was second in 6:56, just edging out American Jordan Anthony, who was third in 6:57.

Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith won the women’s 60m in 7.08. — AFP