Jan 24 (Reuters) – American Josh Hoey shattered the men’s 800 metres short track world record at the Indoor Grand Prix in Boston on Saturday, clocking 1:42.50 to break a mark that stood for over 28 years.
Hoey took 0.17 seconds off the previous record of 1:42.67 set by Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer at the World Indoor Championships in Paris in 1997, adding another highlight to a breakout indoor season that included a world 600m short track best set in Boston seven weeks ago.
Already the second-fastest indoor 800m runner of all time after setting a North American record 1:43.24 at last year’s U.S. Indoor Championships in New York, Hoey was paced by his brother Jaxson and surged clear late to win by more than two seconds.
Jaxson led him through 200 metres in 24.81 and 400 in 50.21 before stepping aside, with Hoey passing 600 in 1:16.19 and holding on until the line.
“We did a lot of pacing work,” Hoey was quoted as saying by World Athletics. “Just kind of kept steadily improving, taking it week-by-week, block-by-block, and we were able to make this work.”
Earlier on the card, American Hobbs Kessler set a 2000m short track world best of 4:48.79 to beat the previous mark of 4:49.99 set by Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele almost 19 years ago.
U.S. distance runner Grant Fisher, the world short track 3000m record-holder, finished second in 4:49.48.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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