De Grasse, Brown run strong 200m but can't keep pace with record-setting American
Canadians finish 3-4 as Noah Lyles sets world-leading mark of 19.50 seconds at Diamond League event
Canadian sprint stars Andre De Grasse and Aaron Brown couldn't keep up with American Noah Lyles.
Lyles, 21, ran a meet record and world-leading time of 19.50 seconds in the 200 metres at the Diamond League event on Friday in Lausanne, Switzerland.
De Grasse (19.92) and Brown (19.95) finished third and fourth, respectively. De Grasse's finish left him one hundredth of a second shy of his season best, while Brown earned a new personal best in the 200m.
Ecuador's Alex Quinonez blasted past both Canadians in the final 50 metres to grab second place at 19.87 seconds, also a personal best.
Lyles' personal-best time of 19.50 seconds was the fourth-fastest ever, behind world record-holder Usain Bolt (19.19), Yohan Blake (19.26) and Michael Johnson (19.32).
WATCH | Lyles flies to top spot in men's 200m:
"The track here is burning up," said Lyles, who blistered his previous best of 19.65 seconds.
Typically a late charger, Lyles attacked early this time.
"It was a good, well executed race," he said. "It was about getting out strong.
The race marked the second time this season that De Grasse and Brown went head-to-head in the 200m. They finished one-two in 20.07 and 20.21, respectively, at Diamond League Shanghai on May 18.
WATCH | Gatlin cruises to win in 100m:
Brown was coming off a victory in the 100 at the Harry Jerome Classic in Burnaby, B.C., while De Grasse has shone this season in his return from a strained hamstring and reached the podium in seven races combined in the 100 and 200. At a recent Golden Spike event, he won the 200 in a season-best 19.91 seconds at Ostrava, Czech Republic, and placed second in the 100.
WATCH | De Grasse happy with time in 200m race:
About 30 minutes prior to the 200m, Brown ran in the 100m showcase event in Lausanne, where he posted a season-best time of 10.07 seconds.
Lord have MERCY I’m tired 😅 <a href="https://t.co/gHaM2FMUbS">pic.twitter.com/gHaM2FMUbS</a>
—@KingsleySC
That was good enough to land the 27-year-old in third place. American Justin Gatlin, a full decade older than Brown, won the race at 9.92 seconds, with teammate Michael Rodgers taking second at 10.01 seconds.
A curious men's 5,000 left Yomif Kejelcha ahead at the bell signaling one lap left after Hagos Gebrhiwet, the Olympic bronze medalist, slowed and saluted the crowd thinking he had won. Kejelcha timed 13 minutes, 0.56 seconds to win, while Gebrhiwet ended up finishing 10th with a time of 13:09.59.
WATCH | Runner's early celebration drops him from 1st to 10th:
Meanwhile, Canada's Brittany Crew placed second in women's shot put. Crew, 25, threw for a distance of 18.46 metres to finish behind Germany's Christina Schwanitz (19.04m). Sweden's Fanny Roos was third (18.41m).
WATCH | Crew grabs 2nd place in shot put:
In January, Crew set her personal best at 18.69 metres at an event in Halle, Germany.
Running in the 800m, Canadian Brandon McBride placed fourth with a time of 1:44.14, nearly two seconds above his personal best.
WATCH | McBride content with 800m result despite minor errors:
A trio of Kenyans placed above McBride as Wyclife Kinyamal, Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich and Emmanuel Kipkurui Korir finished top three, in that order.
WATCH | Kinyamal tops men's 800m:
In other world-leading performances Friday, Timothy Cheruiyot of Kenya won the men's 1,500 in three minutes 28.77 seconds and pole vaulter Piotr Lisek of Poland cleared 6.01 metres.
With files from The Canadian Press and Reuters