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Josh Hoey had said he was excited to take a shot at the world 800m short track record in Boston and he was right on target as he clocked 1:42.50* to improve the 28-year-old mark at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix – the first World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting of the season – on Saturday (24).

Seven weeks on from setting a world 600m short track best, also in Boston, the US world indoor champion made more history as he took 0.17 off the world record of 1:42.67 set by Wilson Kipketer at the World Indoor Championships in Paris in 1997.

Hoey went into the race as the second-fastest indoor 800m runner of all time thanks to the North American record of 1:43.24 he ran at the US Indoor Championships in New York last year. But paced by his brother Jaxson, he leapt to the top of that all-time list, winning the race by more than two seconds.

Jaxson led his brother through the first 200m in 24.81 before 400m was reached in 50.21. Jaxson then stepped aside and Josh passed 600m in 1:16.19, holding on to cross the finish line in 1:42.50.

"We did a lot of pacing work," said Josh, reflecting on his preparations for the race. "Just kind of kept steadily improving, taking it week by week, block by block, and we were able to make this work.

“This is far from the end of the journey,” added the 26-year-old, who narrowly missed out on making the US teams for last year’s World Championships and the Paris Olympic Games. “We’re actually sort of close to the beginning, so I feel excited about it.”

A world best had been set earlier in the programme, USA’s 2024 world indoor 1500m bronze medallist Hobbs Kessler clocking 4:48.79 to break the 2000m short track world best of 4:49.99 set by Kenenisa Bekele almost 19 years ago.

As well as the clock, Kessler was also battling world 3000m short track record-holder Grant Fisher, who was denied the win but also dipped under the old world best, finishing second in 4:49.48.

Fisher tracked the pacemaker through the first 1000m in 2:23.57, followed closely by Kessler. Fisher remained a few strides ahead as the race wound up but Kessler was ready to strike and he kicked past his rival on the final back straight. Fisher couldn’t respond but was rewarded with the second-fastest time in history, in a race that saw four athletes join the all-time top 10 – Belgium’s Pieter Sisk clocking 4:52.41 in third place and Great Britain’s Jake Wightman running 4:53.69 in fourth.

Australia’s Cameron Myers also moved into the world all-time top 10 with his run in the 3000m. The 19-year-old, who set world U20 short track 1500m and mile records in New York last year, this time clocked a world-leading meeting record of 7:27.57 – a time that moves him to 10th on the world short track all-time list and is the fastest ever 3000m by an Oceanian athlete, indoors or outdoors.

Irish record-holder Andrew Coscoran, defending the title, finished second in 7:30.97.

Contesting her first track race since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, USA’s Elle St. Pierre won the women’s 3000m in an early world lead of 8:26.54 to beat Australia’s Linden Hall and Jessica Hull.

St. Pierre, who won the world indoor title in 2024, missed the majority of 2025 as she gave birth to her second son in May but she made a big statement on her return. She kicked away from Hall and a fading Hull to win by half a second, Hall securing the runner-up spot in 8:27.03 and Olympic 1500m silver medallist Hull finishing third in 8:36.03.

Ireland’s world fourth-place finisher Cian McPhillips laid down a strong marker in the 600m, leaving USA’s 2024 world indoor champion Bryce Hoppel and 2019 world champion Donavan Brazier to chase him home as he won clear in a short track PB of 1:16.37. Brazier edged Hoppel for the runner-up spot, 1:17.20 to 1:17.24.

Kenya’s world silver medallist Dorcus Ewoi held on to clinch a narrow 1500m win ahead of USA’s Sinclaire Johnson, clocking a world-leading short track PB of 4:01.22. Johnson also got a PB of 4:01.30, while Klaudia Kazimierska ran a Polish short track record of 4:01.78 in third.

USA’s Roisin Willis became another early world leader as she won the 800m in 1:59.59. The top three all set short track PBs, Willis followed by Great Britain’s Isabelle Boffey in 2:00.14 and USA’s Victoria Bossong in 2:00.36.

A thrilling 300m clash saw Trinidad and Tobago’s 2022 world indoor 400m champion Jereem Richards beat USA’s four-time world 200m champion Noah Lyles by just 0.01 - 32.14 to 32.15. Lyles had a narrow lead as they sprinted down the final straight but Richards timed his dip to perfection to clinch the win.

n a 60m hurdles battle between two two-time world champions, it was Jamaica’s Danielle Williams who had the edge. The 33-year-old, who won her world 100m hurdles titles in 2015 and 2023, clocked an early world lead of 7.87 to pip the 2024 and 2025 world indoor 60m hurdles champion Devynne Charlton of The Bahamas by 0.05.

The men’s 60m hurdles was won by USA’s 2022 world silver medallist Trey Cunningham in 7.48 to match the world lead. Connor Schulman was second in a PB of 7.51.

Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake took the men’s 60m in 6.53, finishing 0.03 ahead of Puerto Rico’s Eloy Benitez. Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith won the women’s race, the 2019 world 200m champion clocking 7.08 to deny Jamaica’s 2022 world U20 200m champion Brianna Lyston, second in 7.11.

USA’s world 4x400m silver medallist Khaleb McRae won the men’s 400m ahead of his compatriot Quincy Wilson, the 18-year-old Olympic 4x400m gold medallist – 45.38 to 45.96.

The women’s 400m was won by Great Britain’s Olympic and world relay medallist Nicole Yeargin in 52.63 ahead of USA’s world heptathlon champion Anna Hall who clocked 52.77. Hall had earlier finished fifth (5.99m) in a long jump competition won by USA’s 2024 world indoor silver medallist Monae’ Nichols (6.64m).

USA’s James Carter won the triple jump with his third-round leap of 16.32m.

The next Gold meeting on the World Indoor Tour is the Millrose Games in New York on 1 February, as many athletes continue their preparations for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 in two months' time.

Copyright: worldathletics.org

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