There may not be any stereotypes regarding the athletes’ ages in the track and field sports realm. In recent times, names like Quincy Wilson and Gout Gout have shown the capability of young ones to turn the world upside down. But would their rise justify a 13-year-old breaking three age-based world records in a single event? Sounds harsh, right? Hold on. Melanie Doggett’s timing in the girls’ 60m indoor dash event in the Millrose Games put another record at risk. 

Yes. Last week, Melanie took 7.17 seconds to secure second place in the girls’ 60m event. Decades ago (preferably before Renate Stecher’s 7.16), the timing could have been considered as the world record in the women’s 60m indoor event. Yes, a teenage athlete almost went past a world record set by a professional athlete. However, talking about records, Melanie’s timing is the world record in the girls’ 60m event for the ages 14,15 and 16. So how are such things possible? How could anyone be this proficient on the track? Well, the veterans see simple things behind the scenes. 

Melanie Doggett has unbelievable movements on the track 

Both Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green seemed entirely impressed with Melanie Doggett’s performance on February 8. In the Ready Set Go podcast, they left no positive words unused while praising the eighth grader. But at the same time, Gatlin didn’t forget to discuss the reason that made Doggett standout. And what was that? The technical supremacy. The eyes of the former Olympic champion rightly spotted the difference while watching the event. Later in the podcast, Gatlin said, “Her [Melanie] movement, I mean when she had two steps down, everyone already had one and a half steps.” So, the 13-year-old had an advantage of half-step in one turn, right? A straightforward imagination might fall short of depicting the actual situation. 

But a simple narration might help. Such as the half-step advantage would equal a shoulder gap on the track. In a course like 60m, that poses a tremendous advantage. It was the prime reason behind Melanie’s ability to gain a quick gap with her opponents on the track. Also, the same reason let the 13-year-old finish the event as low as in the 7.1-time barrier. Notably, before her, there were only three collegiate women athletes on the list this season. However, the same event on the same day witnessed another wunderkind performing extraordinarily. In fact, she went past Melanie on the last leg. Gatlin had also followed her and in the podcast, he shared his takes on her as well. 

Never keep the Trinidad and Tobago talent off the book

Last Saturday could have been a more splendid fairy book for Melanie Doggett. But at the last moment, her party was cut off. Credit goes to Lisa Raye, the 17-year-old track phenom. On the penultimate day, she burst out of the starting blocks and sprinted down the last stretch, battling against Melanie Doggett, who was almost on her heels. Raye finished with a time of 7.13, breaking the former U.S. high school national record of 7.16 that Shawnti Jackson. Ironically, Shawnti set the record in 2023, at the same Millrose Games. So is Lisa feeling in the big shoes? 

Justin Gatlin wasn’t ready to compare. Instead, he claimed Lisa to be the ‘veteran.’ In the same podcast, the four-time world champion said, “She understood what she needed to do. She didn’t rig up, she didn’t get tired, she handled business there.” Here’s a stunning fact about Lisa: she has yet to lose a 60m final this year. So here are a few athletes making their way to the list of big guns. Gatlin is just right there to measure the talent.