ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — Tori Bowie should easily win the women’s 60m title at the 2018 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships this weekend, but the race for men’s title is expected to be a tighter battle between Christian Coleman and Ronnie Baker.
Coleman, who ran a blistering 6.37 seconds last month, which was 0.02 seconds faster than Maurice Greene’s existing world record, at a Clemson Invitational, will start as the favorite to win the short dash crown and book a place to the IAAF World Indoor Championships next month.
Coleman’s time, however, will not be ratified because electronic starting blocks were not used at the meet.
The 2017 world outdoor 100m silver medallist, has also posted times of 6.46 and 6.47 seconds, which are third and fourth best on the world list.
“I‘m just looking forward to the competition,” said the 21-year-old.
Meanwhile, Baker, the champion here at the Albuquerque Convention Center last year after clocking a personal best of 6.45secs, returns to defend his crown in good form and is expected to give Coleman some difficulty.
Baker has so far made one appearance this season, but it was an impressive 6.48secs performance to win at the 2018 Millrose Games in New York earlier this month.
Other highlighted sprinters in the men’s 60m field are Mike Rodgers, the 2010 world indoor silver medallist, Noah Lyles, Kirk Wilson, Jeff Demps and Tevin Hester.
Meanwhile, on the women’s side, Tori Bowie, the world 100m champion in London last season, will be hoping to secure a place on Team USA for the world indoor championships, and base on current form, the 27-year-old should have little trouble earning her spot.
Bowie skipped the indoor campaign last season, but finished second at the U.S. championships in 2016 before going on to make the final and finishing 6th in the 2016 world indoor championships that same year.
She’s already clocked 7.14 seconds this season at the 2018 Millrose Games in New York earlier on Feb. 3.
Javianne Oliver, Dezerea Bryant, Jasmine Todd and Destiny Carter will also all lineup in the women’s 60m, hoping to upset Bowie and bag a world indoor championships place.
