Devon Allen moves to No. 3 on the all-time list in the 110-meter hurdles in fast USATF NYC Grand Prix

The fast pace of New York City carried over to fast times on the track at the USATF NYC Grand Prix Sunday.

Devon Allen ran the third-fastest time in history in the 110m hurdles, clocking a world-leading 12.84 seconds to soundly defeat rival Grant Holloway, who was running only his second hurdles race of the season.

Christian Coleman dipped under 10 seconds for the first time since 2019, running 9.92 seconds as he shows he is regaining the form that made him world champion before a suspension. World champ Noah Lyles crossed the finish line in 19.61 seconds, second this year only to young phenom Erriyon Knighton who flashed to a 19.49 earlier this year.

And with headliners Sydney McLaughlin and Gabby Thomas pulling out of the meet, Sha’Carri Richardson had the spotlight all to herself and made the most of it. She won the 200 in 22.38 seconds and was second in the 100, where she was nipped at the tape by Aleia Hobbs 10.83 to 10.85. They are now No. 4 and No. 5 on the world list.

The meet at Ichan Stadium on Randall’s Island is a new stop on the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Series, but the site has a long history of hosting track meets. The great Jesse Owens helped inaugurate Downing Stadium on Randall’s Island in 1936 at the U.S. Olympic Trials. In 1990, Leroy Burrell set the world record in the 100-meter dash of 9.90 seconds at the U.S. National Championships. That stadium was torn down and replaced by Icahn Stadium, where Usain Bolt set his world record in the 100 of 9.72 seconds in 2008.

Allen announced prior to this season that he would be joining the National Football League’s Philadelphia Eagles as a wide receiver, and has been working out in both sports. He said his goals for track and field were to win the World Championships this summer and set the world record. He made great strides towards both Sunday.

Only Aries Merritt, the world record holder (12.80) and Holloway, the reigning world champion and Olympic silver medalist (12.81), have posted faster times over 10 hurdles than Allen, who was fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and fifth in Rio four years earlier.

Holloway got out to his usual quick start, but Allen overtook him at the ninth hurdle and used his strength as a closer to beat him by .22 seconds.

The time was even more remarkable given that Allen came down with COVID-19 two weeks ago and stopped training to recover.

“It was good for me to get off my feet for seven to 10 days,” he said. “My legs are fresh, I feel good, and now I can start training and getting better for USAs and worlds.”

Holloway has a bye for the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, next month so he does not have to qualify at the U.S. National Championships, which begin June 23, also in Eugene. However Holloway said he will “go back to the drawing board. You’ve got to up your game.”

Richardson was the only elite athlete to double. When Thomas pulled out on Saturday after doing what she termed “something funny” to her leg during a sprint in practice, Richardson grabbed her empty lane in the 200.

Richardson had not run a race at that distance yet this season and needed a qualifying time for the U.S. Championships, where she hopes to make the world team in both the 100 and 200.

“I feel phenomenal,” said Richardson.

After winning the U.S. Olympic Trials last year, the 22-year-old was forced to serve a suspension because she tested positive for marijuana. Known for her colorful hair - she wore fiery orange at the Trials and another favorite has been blue - Richardson this time was blond. She wore a fuchsia outfit with fishnet on her arms and legs and her forehead sparkled with fake diamonds. Her attire reflected “me always standing out, no matter my performance,” she said.

Richardson is a photographer’s darling, throwing her arms into the air and flashing a big smile as she won the 200.

She also got the loudest cheers from the crowd when she was introduced. Young girls who were competing in the public portion of the meet squealed for the sprint star to sign autographs and pose for pictures.

“They’re the next generation,” Richardson said. “I just want them to know, do it in their way. Don’t let limitations of the world stop you. Because the world has its own flaws. Don’t the anybody stop you...from shining because you are sunshine, we are the light.”

Coleman is also finding the light after a dark period in his career. He had to sit out after violating the “whereabouts” rule in which athletes must be available for drug testing out of competition. Coleman, who said he is relearning “the art of sprinting,” defeated Ackeem Blake of Jamaica who clocked a personal best of 9.95.

“The whole goal today was to try to execute a much better race than my last one,” said Coleman, who was third at the Prefontaine Classic, a Diamond League meeting, in 10.04 seconds.

Coleman also has a bye into the World Championships, but plans to race all three rounds at the U.S. Championships.

“I need all the races I can get,” he said.

Lyles won’t face Coleman in the 100, opting to focus his World Championships hopes on the 200, in which he is defending champion.

“It’s kind of come to a point now, ‘Hey, I’d rather grab a gold than two silvers at the World Championships,’” he said.

Lyles defeated the field by four-tenths of a second, a huge margin in a sprint.

“I’m proud of it,” he said. “I wanted it faster. I wanted to see 19.5, but I’ll take 19.61. It’s right next door.”

The only disappointment of the day was the 11th hour and 50-minutes withdrawal of McLaughlin, the Olympic gold medalist and world record holder in the 400-meter hurdles.

On Tuesday, the meet announced she would run the 100 hurdles and flat 400 in New York, which would help her tune up for her signature event. The schedule was adjusted to give McLaughlin more than an hour between races, since the two events had been only 10 minutes apart.

McLaughlin pulled out of the 100 hurdles before the meet. Then with the 400 coming up, she came through the mixed zone to tell the media she was not running.

McLaughlin was second at the 2019 Worlds behind teammate Dalilah Muhammad, so she has to earn her berth at the 2022 Worlds. McLaughlin said her coach Bob Kersee “decided to pull me this close to trials.”

She has raced only twice this season, winning the 100 hurdles at the Penn Relays and then the 400 hurdles last week in Nashville with a scintillating time of 51.61 seconds, only .15 off her world record.

“I think last week was a good testament of where we’re at,” McLaughlin said, “and I think that’s why he decided to shut it down. We want to focus on the things that matter most, which is the trials and worlds and practices have been going great so I think it’s keeping us right on pace.”