Thomas scorches to 21.70 at Lone Star Grand Prix

Gabby Thomas produced the standout sprint performance at the USATF Lone Star Grand Prix in College Station, winning the women’s 200m in 21.70 (0.7m/s) at the first US-based World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting of 2026.

The US sprinter’s time was faster than the mark she ran to win the Olympic title in 2024 and just 0.10 shy of the PB she set in 2023. She won comfortably from compatriot Kayla White, who clocked 22.07, and Nigeria’s Favour Ofili, who was third in 22.15.

“I’m a little surprised by the time, but I’ve been training hard,” said Thomas, who headed into the race off the back of her first wind-legal sub-11 clocking for 100m. “I had a great little tour in Africa and now the hard work is paying off.

“I’m enjoying having an ‘off’ year where there’s not the pressure of an Olympics or World Championships, so I’m just having fun this season.”

Camryn Rogers continued her superb season in the women’s hammer, extending her winning streak with a 79.36m throw in a high-quality and competitive contest.

The Olympic champion and two-time world champion, who has thrown beyond 80 metres three times this year, including in Turku just three days ago, had to work for victory against USA’s Rachel Richeson.

Richeson took the early lead with 74.53m, while Rogers opened with a foul before throwing 74.43m in the second round to move into second place. The Canadian then took control with 79.36m in round three.

Richeson responded in the next round with a lifetime best of 79.33m, consolidating her position at sixth on the world all-time list and moving to within just three centimetres of Rogers’ lead. Both women ended their series with throws beyond 77 metres, but neither improved, leaving Rogers to claim another victory. Her last defeat is now more than a year ago.

For the first time ever outside of a global championships final, six women threw beyond 74 metres.

Nathaniel edges Bassitt in hurdles battle

Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel, the fourth-place finisher at last year’s World Championships, prevailed in a thrilling men’s 400m hurdles race, edging Trevor Bassitt by the narrowest of margins.

Caleb Dean led through the first 300 metres before Bassitt began to challenge coming into the home straight. Nathaniel also came through strongly, and he and Bassitt battled down the final straight before crossing the line together in 47.37. Nathaniel was given the verdict by just two thousandths of a second, while Bassitt was rewarded with a PB. Dean finished close behind in 47.42.

Jamar Marshall was a convincing winner of the men’s 110m hurdles, clocking a PB of 13.04 to finish ahead of US compatriot De’Vion Wilson, who ran 13.24.

In the women’s 400m hurdles, Kemi Adekoya led throughout to win in 53.71. Shamier Little mounted a challenge, but Zimbabwe’s Ashley Miller came through to take second in 54.08, improving her own national record by 1.01. Little finished third in 54.15.

There was a Jamaican one-two in the women’s 100m hurdles as Demisha Roswell won in 12.53 from Ackera Nugent, who clocked 12.61. USA’s Rayniah Jones was third in 12.62, while Olympic silver medallist Cyrena Samba-Mayela, who has struggled with injury for the past 18 months, produced her best run since September 2024 with 12.65 in fourth.

The men’s 200m was much closer than the women’s race. The field was relatively even coming off the bend before 18-year-old Tate Taylor edged in front, but Zimbabwe’s Olympic finalist Makanakaishe Charamba, running from lane eight, came through to win in a PB of 19.88.

Taylor was rewarded with a PB of 19.97, moving him to equal sixth on the world U20 all-time list. Michael Norman finished sixth in 20.40, his fastest time since 2022, the year in which he won the world 400m title.

Trayvon Bromell emerged victorious in a wind-assisted men’s 100m, clocking 9.85 (3.8m/s) to beat a high-quality field. Canada’s 2021 Olympic 200m champion Andre De Grasse was second in 9.91, with world champion Oblique Seville third, also in 9.91. The top eight men finished inside 10 seconds.

Jamaican teenager Sabrina Dockery powered through to win the women’s 100m in a PB of 10.92, breaking 11 seconds for the first time. Canada’s Audrey Leduc was second in 10.97, with Jamaica’s Jodean Williams third in a PB of 10.97.

Maloney dominates 800m

Shafiqua Maloney produced a dominant display in the women’s 800m. The Olympic fourth-place finisher from St Vincent and the Grenadines led through the first lap in 56.07, then continued to pull away from the rest of the field. She won in 1:57.34, just 0.05 shy of her PB, finishing more than a second clear of Jamaica’s Kelly-Ann Beckford, who ran a PB of 1:58.46, and USA’s Victoria Bossong, who also set a PB with 1:58.52.

In the men’s 400m, 2025 world indoor champion Chris Bailey produced a perfectly controlled effort to win in a season’s best of 44.35. He finished a few strides ahead of Bryce Deadmon, who clocked 44.74. World indoor champion Christopher Morales Williams ran 45.04 for fourth, while Olympic champion Quincy Hall clocked 45.51 in seventh.

Elsewhere, world bronze medallist Curtis Thompson was a clear winner of the men’s javelin, his first-round throw of 84.88m proving enough for victory. World and Olympic medallist Chris Nilsen took the men’s pole vault with 5.80m.