Noah Lyles at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix (© World Athletics 
Kenichiro Ogane)
Global gold medallists Noah Lyles, Jordan Anthony and Rai Benjamin were among the winners as the Seiko Golden Grand Prix – the third World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting of the season – returned to Tokyo’s National Stadium on Sunday (17).
And meeting records fell in the 3000m and women’s 400m as athletes made their marks early in the season.
USA’s Olympic and multiple world champion Lyles contested his first 100m races of the year, back in the stadium where he claimed world 200m and 4x100m titles in September.
He opened with 10.05 into a 1.1 m/s headwind and improved to 9.95 (0.6m/s) in the final to win the last race on the programme. His 18-year-old compatriot Tate Taylor was second in 10.04 and another 18-year-old, Great Britain's Jake Odey-Jordan, was third in 10.09.
"I’m happy with the race, I’m happy with the time," said Lyles. "It’s a great way to start the season.
"It wasn't my fastest, but it was definitely in my top five fastest season openers, so I'd say it was very worth the journey and I'm excited that I got to have it in a fun place like Tokyo."
His compatriots Anthony and Benjamin also secured sprint wins – world indoor 60m champion Anthony taking the 200m in 20.05 into a 1.3m/s headwind and world 400m hurdles champion Benjamin winning the 400m flat in 44.69.
Courtney Lindsey got the stronger start in the 200m, but Anthony judged his race well and a powerful finish clinched him a clear win. Lindsey was second in 20.28. The 400m was closer and four athletes were in contention as they reached the home straight. But Benjamin – in his first race since the World Championships – looked relaxed, running alongside a battling Muzala Samukonga. The hurdles specialist won by 0.14 ahead of Zambia’s Olympic bronze medallist (44.83).
"I think I could have done better execution wise, but it's the first one," said Benjamin. "So, I feel happy to come out with the win and get a good one in front of a good crowd."
Great Britain’s world and Olympic relay medallist Yemi Mary John impressed in her first outdoor 400m of the year, becoming a member of the sub-50.00 club as she improved her PB from 50.50 to 49.85 – a meeting record. USA’s Bailey Lear was second in 50.42.
Yemi Mary John runs a 400m meeting record at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix (© World Athletics 
Kenichiro Ogane)
"It was always going to be a fast race because I know the Tokyo track is so incredible," said John, who opened her outdoor season two weeks ago at the World Relays in Gaborone. "The Olympics were here and I was fortunate to race here last year at the World Championships. I was hoping for a fast race and just great energy, a great atmosphere."
The meeting record also fell in the women’s 3000m as Kenya’s Japan-based Janet Jepkoech picked up the pace during the final kilometre to win in a PB of 8:39.24.
Nagiya Mori, Ryuto Igawa and Yu Shibata delighted home fans as they all dipped under the Japanese record and meeting record in the men’s 3000m. Mori led the way as he clocked 7:38.98 to beat Suguru Osako’s national record of 7:40.09 set in 2014, closely followed by Igawa in 7:39.36 and Shibata in 7:39.51.
There was more home success in the men’s 110m hurdles as Tatsuki Abe won in 13.26 (-0.2m/s) ahead of USA’s Connor Schulman (13.33). US indoor champion Alia Armstrong won the 100m hurdles in 12.75 (-0.9m/s), narrowly holding off Japanese champion Yumi Tanaka (12.81).
Racing on the track where the world record was set during the Tokyo Olympics, Türkiye’s 2022 world U20 champion İsmail Nezir ran a PB of 48.25 to win the 400m hurdles. Japan’s Kaito Tsutsue was second in 48.65.
Two-time NACAC Championships medallist Rhema Otabor of The Bahamas denied Japanese champion Momone Ueda a home win in the javelin. Otabor soared into the lead with 61.57m in the fifth round and her rivals couldn’t respond, Ueda securing second place with 61.40m and Colombia’s 2023 world silver medallist Flor Denis Ruiz Hurtado placing third on 60.98m. Japan’s Olympic champion Haruka Kitaguchi was fifth in her first competition since last year’s World Championships, recording a best of 60.36m.
Czechia’s multiple world and Olympic medallist Jakub Vadlejch opened his season with a 85.24m men's javelin win – his farthest throw since the Paris Olympics.
Japan’s Yuki Hashioka leapt 8.22m (1.9m/s) to win the long jump, while his compatriot Sou Shibuya won the high jump on countback with a first-time PB clearance of 2.24m.
