The NYC Grand Prix allowed fans to see top athletes compete in American territory, including headliners Noah Lyles, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and Elaine Thompson-Herah.
This past weekend, track and field fans travelled to New York City in droves for the meet, which coincided with the release of the Netflix documentary Sprint, which stars Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles among other world and Olympic champions.
Favor Ofili defeats Olympic and world champions, while Elaine Thompson-Herah sustains a lower leg injury.
World-class competitors competed in the women’s 100-metre dash, including Olympian and world champion Gabby Thomas, American record holder Aleia Hobbs in the 60-metre event, Olympic champion Morolake Akinosun in the 4×100-metre relay, and five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah.
Hobbs, Akinosun, and Ofili all got off to fast starts in the race, with Hobbs showcasing her trademark top speed. But this time, it wasn’t enough to overcome Ofili, the previous NCAA champion. As the season heats up, these two former LSU Tigers have proven they are serious contenders, displaying their preparedness to compete at the top level.
Many supporters thought Elaine Thompson-Herah would peak in time for the Jamaican Olympic Trials even though she began her season later than normal.
However, during the race, she sustained a lower leg injury that required her to be helped off the course for more testing. Although the extent of her injury is yet unknown, Jamaican track fans are pulling together to show their support and wish her a speedy recovery.
Running the 400-metre race, McLaughlin-Levrone clocked in at 48.75 seconds, just shy of Sanya Richards-Ross’ national record of 48.70 set in 2006.
McLaughlin-Levrone showed off her versatility by setting a personal best time of 22.07 seconds in the 200-metre dash at the LA Grand Prix, defeating leading competitors Gabby Thomas and Abby Steiner, and indicating her potential for multiple Olympic medals. Originally, her only goal was to compete in the 400-metre hurdles at the Paris Olympics.