Lyles crushes personal best; Arop sets No. 2 all-time record

NEW YORK (AFP) — Reigning world 100- and 200-meter champion Noah Lyles served notice to Paris Olympic sprinters while Marco Arop ran the secondfastest indoor 1,000 ever at the Boston Grand Prix.

The indoor athletics meet serves as an early signpost on the road to next months’ World Indoor Championships in Glasgow and the Summer Games showdown in France.

Lyles, who was also on last year’s world champion US 4x100 relay, was anxious to go for gold after winning the 60 meters in a personal best and 2024 worldleading 6.44 seconds.

“I’m just thinking about in 2022 when I PR-ed (set a personal record) and I ran an American record and last year when I PR-ed at this meet and I became the threetime world champion,” Lyles said.

“Now I’m looking another major PR. Guess what that means?”

“We’re coming after everything — all the Olympic medals. I don’t care who wants it. It’s mine.”

Lyles, whose time was 0.10 off countryman Christian Coleman’s world indoor record, warned his starts are much better.

“I just improved my 60 meters, the worst part of my race,” Lyles said.

“It’s dangerous out here.” Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake was second in 6.45 with American Ronnie Baker third in 6.54.

Arop, the reigning world 800 outdoor champion, clocked the second-best men’s 1,000 in 2:14.74 with American Bryce Hoppel a distant second in 2:16.91.

Sudan-born Canadian Arop’s time was second only to the world indoor record of 2:14.20 set in 2016 at Stockholm by Ayanleh Souleiman of Djibouti.

“It was a great race,” Arop said.

“I had so much fun out there. I was chasing that world record.

I’m just happy with the way everything turned out. Being world champion means I just have to keep working harder.”

American Hobbs Kessler spoiled the competitive return of 2022 world outdoor champion Jake Wightman, holding off the British star down the stretch to win the 1,500 in 3:33.66 with Wightman next on 3:34.06.

Hobbs, last year’s world road mile champion, outlasted Wightman, who couldn’t defend his world title last year due to a foot injury.

“I was trying to do it as smooth as possible even though the world champion had got me stoked,” Hobbs said.

“I’m really proud of the win.” Reigning world indoor champion Grant Holloway won the 60 hurdles in a 2024 worldbest of 7.35 seconds with fellow American Trey Cunningham second in 7.49.