Miller, McLeod among Olympic champs to win at Millrose

Rio Olympic champions Shaunae Miller of Bahamas, Omar McLeod of Jamaica, Derek Drouin of Canada and Katerine Stefanidi of Greece won titles Saturday at the 110th Millrose Games indoor athletics meet.
Miller, who dove across the line to edge American Allyson Felix for 400-meter gold last year in Rio, won the 300m in 35.71 seconds, matching the sixth-best time at the distance to beat American Ashley Spencer by.56 of a second.
“This is an amazing feeling,” Miller said. “It’s a nice start to 2017, a good win. I’m looking forward to it.”
McLeod, the reigning Olympic 110 hurdles champion and world indoor 60 hurdles king, took the 60 hurdles in 7.46 with American Aleec Harris second in 7.56.
“It was a good run. Technically it wasn’t a great race. But it shows I’m still around,” McLeod said. “Pressure is there but I’m looking forward to it.”
Stefanidi defended her Millrose women’s pole vault crown by clearing 4.82m with American Sandi Morris second at 4.72 in a rematch of their Rio Olympic duel also won by the Greek star.
Reigning world and Olympic high jump champion Drouin, who won in Rio despite stress fractures in his back, cleared 2.27 on his first attempt to edge compatriot Mike Mason for the victory on fewer misses.
“I’m keeping an eye on it,” Drouin said of his back. “But so far it has been good.”
American Dezerea Bryant won the women’s 60m in 7.12, the fastest time in the world this year, with compatriot Morolake Akinosun second by.05 and China’s Wei Yongli third in 7.26.
“I’ve been working on my start,” said Bryant, a member of the US 2015 world runner-up 4x100 relay. “I’m really powerful. When I get a good start that’s good for me. I’m very excited. That’s my personal best. I’m looking forward to good things this year.”
Reigning world and Olympic long jump champion Tianna Bartoletta, a member of the US Rio gold 4x100 relay, was sixth in 7.30.
Ajee Wilson, last year’s world indoor 800 runner-up, won the Millrose 800 in 1:58.27, the year’s best time and an American record, breaking the 15-year-old US mark of 1:58.71 by Nicole Teter.
“I’m over the moon,” said Wilson, who beat US runner-up Charlene Lipsey by.37 of a second.
Also setting an American record was Courtney Okolo in winning the 500m in 1:07.34.
“I’m more than happy,” she said. “This is a weird event. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go but I’m really happy with the result.”
Unheralded Clayton Vaughn edged 2010 world indoor runner-up Mike Rodgers by.003 of a second to win the 60 in 6.611 from lane seven.
“I just tried to close and lean to the line,” Vaughn said. “I could see him out of my left eye. I knew he was there.”
Dutch standout Sifan Hassan, the world indoor 1,500 champion, won the women’s mile in a meet record 4:19.89. “It’s fantastic,” she said. “I’m so happy.”
Canada added two more titles with Kate Van Buskirk taking the women’s 3,000 in 8:52.08 and Phylicia George winning the women’s 60 hurdles in 7.98. “I just wanted to focus on myself and my start,” George said. “I’m just getting ready for outdoors.”
Other US winners were Vernon Norwood in the men’s 500 in 1:00.11, Brannon Kidder in the men’s 1,000 in 2:19.92, Eric Jenkins in the men’s mile in 3:53.23 and Ben True in the men’s two mile in 8:11.33.