Elaine Thompson-Herah set a new Pre Classic meet record, runs the second fastest time ever in the 100m, breaking the tape in 10.54. Photo by Jay Bendlin

By Kate Walkup

EUGENE, Ore. – Eight athletes set meet records at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field. Olympic gold medalists from around the world met in Eugene post-Tokyo to showcase their talent one final time this summer.

Sifan Hassan, who was vocal about attempting to break the 5,000 meter world record, comes up just short at the Pre Classic, clocking 14:27.89. Photo by Jay Bendlin

On Friday night, Sifan Hassan won the women’s 5,000 meters, finishing with a time of 14:27.89. She started out running along with the world-record paced lights on the track, however, the world record ran away from her about halfway into the race. Hassan still managed to finish strong and clocked a season best in the event after going out with ambitions of putting on a world-record performance.

“The last two laps I knew I wasn’t going to break the world record,” Hassan said. “I just wanted to finish strong and run hard.”

This was the first time Hassan had stepped back on a track after Tokyo, where she finished with gold in both the 5,000 and the 10,000 meters and bronze in the 1,500 meters after falling on the bell lap in her qualifying round.

Norah Jeruto won the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase on Saturday, running a meet record and world-leading time of 8:53.65. Olympic silver medalist Courtney Frerichs finished second, setting a new American record of 8:57.77. She becomes the first American woman to break the 9-minute barrier in the event.

Olympic gold medalist and world-record holder Ryan Crouser threw 23.15 meters to win the men’s shot put. Crouser’s throw also set a new meet record and was the third farthest throw in history.

“I felt really good out here competing today,” Crouser said. “This was a really awesome homecoming, post-Olympics meet. There’s no place I’d rather come back to.”

In her final race of the season and her third time competing at Hayward Field this season, Athing Mu set a meet record, broke her own American record and turned in a world-leading time of 1:55.04 in the women’s 800 meters.

Athing Mu lowers her American 800m Record at the Pre Classic, running 1:55.04. Photo by Jay Bendlin

“Very satisfied with 1:55. A PR again this season, that’s pretty great,” Mu said. “The Hayward magic, they call it. I think this was the greatest field of people ever, so just to experience it was really nice.”

Olympic 100 and 200 meter gold medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah set a new meet record, national record and ran a world-leading time of 10.54 in the women’s 100 meters. That mark is the second fastest all time. Jamaican teammates Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.73) and Shericka Jackson (10.76) took second and third—the same order the three finished in Tokyo.

In the men’s 200 meters, Noah Lyles set a new meet record and ran a world-leading time of 19.52. Kenny Bednarek (19.80) and Josephus Lyles (20.03) took second and third.

Faith Kipyegon set a new meet record in the women’s 1500 meters, breaking the tape in a time of 3:53.23. Olympic silver medalist Dalilah Muhammad won the women’s 400-meter hurdles, running a meet-record time of 52.77.

The men’s 100 meters was won by Olympic 200-meter gold medalist André de Grasse, who finished with a time of 9.74. Mujinga Kambundji won the women’s 200 meters with a time of 22.06. Gabrielle Thomas took second, running 22.11 and Dina Asher-Smith finished third in 22.19.

Pedro Pichardo won the men’s triple jump with a 17.63-meter jump. Hugues Fabrice Zango (17.12m) and Donald Scott (17.03m) finished second and third in the event. In the women’s pole vault, Olympic gold medalist Katie Nageotte cleared 4.82 meters to take the win. After a jump-off, Iryna Gerashchenko won the women’s high jump, equaling her season best by clearing 1.98 meters on her 18th jump of the competition.

Olympic 5,000-meter gold medalist Joshua Cheptegei ran a world-leading time of 8:09.55 to win the men’s two-mile. Marco Arop won the men’s 800 meters in 1:44.51. Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich took second with a time of 1:45.02 and Emmanuel Kipkurui Korir finished in third, clocking 1:45.05.

After gesturing to the crowd on the final turn of the men’s international mile on Friday night, Craig Engels was in position to win the race, but his celebration came too early. Geordie Beamish pulled ahead of him in the final few meters, ultimately taking the win with a time of 3:54.86. Engels finished second in 3:55.41.

Rebecca Mehra won the women’s North American 1,500 meters on Friday night with a time of 4:06.35. Sage Hurta came in second with a personal record of 4:07.50. Francine Niyonsaba won the women’s two-mile with a world lead and meet record of 9:00.75.

To conclude the 2021 Pre Classic, 1,500 meter Olympic gold medalist Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the Bowerman Mile in a meet-record time of 3:47.24. Ingebrigtsen’s world-leading time was also a Norwegian national record and the fastest mile ever run on U.S. soil.

“I really enjoy racing and competing and being able to win races—it’s every athlete's dream,” Ingebrigtsen said. “It’s great to be able to be here and take part in a great meet. It’s a lot of fun.”