New York: American Josh Hoey clocked 1min 42.50sec to break the 800m indoor world record at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix meeting in Boston on Saturday.
Hoey, the 2025 indoor world champion at 800m, broke the previous mark of 1:42.67 set by Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer in Paris almost 30 years ago, on March 9, 1997. The 26-year-old American had been closing in on Kipketer’s mark, coming close last year when he clocked 1:43.24, then the second-fastest time in history, in New York.
On Saturday he settled in behind his brother Jaxson Hoey, who acted as pace-setter, and sailed home without a hitch. “I just slotted in behind Jax and just tried to stay calm behind my brother and let him lead me,” Hoey said.
“The last 200 I could feel just the support of everyone, and the work of the last couple of months just bottomed out and I’m happy I got that time,” added Hoey, who narrowly missed out the US teams for both the 2024 Olympics and last year’s outdoor World Championships.
American Hobbs Kessler set an indoor world best in the 2,000m, using a stunning late burst to finish in 4min 48.79sec and eclipse the mark of 4:49.99 set by Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele on February 17, 2007.
