This Week In Track & Field: Prefontaine Classic Recap – Tate Taylor Goes 19.75; Nikki Hiltz Beats Faith Kipyegon; Cam Myers Wins The Bowerman Mile + More
About this episode
Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber and Preet Majithia recap all of the major action at the 2026 Prefontaine Classic. Streaks ended, young stars arrived, and the whole distance-and-sprint order got shaken up in a single afternoon in Eugene.
Discussed in this episode:
– Tate Taylor wins the men’s 200m in 19.75 into a -0.9 headwind: The biggest surprise of the meet. Tebogo was the overwhelming favorite. We discuss why it’s different from the Gout Gout 19.67. Taylor confirmed he will not be running USAs, and the World U20 Championships in Eugene in August is now the most anticipated junior sprint matchup of the year.
– Nikki Hiltz wins the mile in 4:17.49: Ends Faith Kipyegon’s five-year, 24-race unbeaten streak in 1500m/mile events on the track, dating to a loss to Sifan Hassan in Florence on June 10, 2021.
– This was not peak Faith Kipyegon; Faith posted on Instagram after: “Since Shanghai, I’ve been dealing with a hamstring injury, but the last two weeks have been a step in the right direction.”
– Cam Myers wins the Bowerman Mile in 3:46.06: First Australian to win the Bowerman Mile. Six days after running 3:28.00 in Paris, he sat in, took control at 600m, and closed the final 100 in 13.1 — the fastest of the race. Yared Nuguse second. Ethan Strand third in 3:46.97 after being well back at the bell.
– Kyle’s argument: please stop making athletes announce signings right before major races.
– Josh Kerr, London Diamond League, July 18th: Ten days out from his world record attempt. He’s been living in his altitude tent for twelve hours a day, writing for The Telegraph, and posting workouts that Kyle described as “giving serious hope”
– Lilian Odira beats Keely Hodgkinson in the women’s 800m, 1:56.19 to 1:56.73.
– World record watch for London: Keely’s situation two weeks out makes any WR talk look ambitious. She’s still on the start list.
– Melissa Jefferson-Wooden beats Sha’Carri Richardson in the women’s 100m, 10.78 to 10.79: MJW extends her unbeaten 100m streak to ten races since the Paris Olympic final.
– Sha’Carri’s start looked better than it has at points this season. She’s firmly back.
– Kayinsola Ajayi wins the men’s 100m in 9.84: Beats world champion Oblique Seville (9.89). Ties his PB and national record. A college kid finishing an NCAA season and immediately beating the world champion validates the performance.
– Jamal Britt wins the men’s 110m hurdles over Ja'kobe Tharp: Kyle’s call from the preview episode vindicated.
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Hosts: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez + Preet Majithia | @preet_athletics + Kyle Merber | @kylemerber
Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | @jasminefehr
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