American Christian Coleman denied compatriot Noah Lyles as he stormed to 60m gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
World record holder Coleman, aged 27, set a world-leading time of 6.41 seconds, securing an impressive victory.
Noah Lyles, the reigning world champion in the 100m and 200m, failed to add to his collection of global sprint titles, finishing in 6.44 seconds.
Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake clinched the bronze medal ahead of Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala with a time of 6.46 seconds.
In other events, Great Britain’s Morgan Lake placed sixth in the women’s high jump final. Despite aiming for a medal, the 26-year-old could not surpass her final-round clearance of 1.92 meters. Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers emerged victorious, defeating Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh for the gold.
British team captain Laviai Nielsen secured her spot in the 400m final scheduled for Saturday, while Jemma Reekie advanced to Sunday’s 800m medal race.
In the women’s 1500m final, the last event of the weekend, Great Britain will be represented by Georgia Bell and Revee Walcott-Nolan. Meanwhile, Adam Fogg progressed in the men’s event despite being tripped.
Among the five gold medalists on the opening day of the competition at Emirates Arena were American Ryan Crouser and Canada’s Sarah Mitton in shot put, along with the Netherlands’ Sofie Doktor in the women’s pentathlon.
Coleman upstages Lyles in Friday’s big finale
Lyles, known for his showmanship, solidified his status as the long-awaited successor to Usain Bolt by achieving an extraordinary treble gold at the World Championships in Budapest, which included triumph in the 4x100m relay.
The 26-year-old has expressed his ambitions to reach even greater heights this year, suggesting he might target the 4x400m relay in addition to his other goals, aiming for a golden quadruple in Paris.
However, on the first night of competition at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena, it was Coleman who captured the attention.
While Lyles primarily focuses on the 200m, he achieved a personal best of 6.43 seconds in the 60m event in Boston in February, bringing him within 0.1 seconds of Coleman’s 2018 record.
Coleman, a member of the United States’ successful 4x100m team in Budapest, equaled that world-leading time in his semi-final, and then surpassed it in the final.
This outcome represented a rare setback for Lyles as he aims to solidify his position as the athlete to beat at the Paris Olympic Games. Nevertheless, his progress in the shorter distance will undoubtedly boost his confidence as he embarks on what could be a historic year.