Brazier clocked 1min 44.21sec to steal the show at the fourth of the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meetings.

Earlier in the programme, Brazier’s domestic rival Bryce Hoppel had set a US record and 2021 lead in the 1000m, clocking 2:16.27.

There was a third US record on the day in the rarely run indoor two miles as Ellie Purrier was rewarded for a bold, front-running effort with victory in 9:10.28 - the third fastest time ever behind the 9:00.48 set by Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba in 2014 and the 9:06.26 run by her compatriot Meseret Defar in 2009.

Boston’s Reggie Lewis Center - the usual venue for the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix - is currently serving as a mass vaccination site, so this year’s competition was held without spectators at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island in New York City.

Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo totally dominated her race as she won in 50.21, the equal-seventh fastest time ever recorded, and well inside her Bahamian record of 50.88, set eight years ago.

While home sprinter Michael Norman did not get that close to his 44.52 clocking for the 400m - the fastest ever recorded, although not eligible as a world record due to technical reasons - he was part of one of the keenest competition of the programme.

The prodigiously talented 23-year-old was pushed all the way to the line by his training partner, the world 400m hurdles silver medallist Rai Benjamin, winning in 45.34 ahead of the latter’s personal best of 45.39.

Oliver Hoare set an Australian record of 3:32.35 in winning a 1500m race led until the final 150 metres by Britain’s European and Commonwealth bronze medallist Jake Wightman, who was rewarded for a bold display with a personal best of 3:34.48.

Hoare thus moved to seventh on the all-time list.

World indoor champion Keri Harrison marked her first 60m hurdles race of the year with victory in 7.82, the fastest time run so far in 2021.

Tiffany Porter, who has joint US and Britain citizenship but has represented the latter country since 2010, was second in 7.89, with US athlete Gabrielle Cunningham given the same time in third, a personal best.

World 400m hurdles Sydney McLaughlin was eighth and last in 8.56 - a bit slower than the 8.17 she managed when she last did this event as a 15-year-old.

Home pole vaulter Sandi Morris, the world indoor champion, managed an expected win with 4.60m, although only after a clearance on her third attempt.

A massively effective second half of the men's 60m final saw Trayvon Bromell finish two metres clear in 6.50, with fellow American Demek Kemp second in 6.65.

World 200m champion Noah Lyles had warmed up for his specialist distance by running in the 60m heats, although he had said he would not contest the final if he had qualified.

As it turned out he was not close to going through, clocking 6.76, and although he won his main race the time of 20.80, relatively slow for him, clearly failed to thrill.

It was odd to see this naturally exuberant athlete so cast down, even in victory.

Home sprinter Kayla White won the women’s 60m final in a personal best of 7.15 after the race favourite Aleia Hobbs, who had won her heat in 7.10, had a false start.

Trey Culver, 24, got the event underway with victory in the high jump, equalling his personal best of 2.33m to move to the top of this year’s world rankings, a centimetre ahead of Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi.

Home runner Ajee Wilson, the world bronze medallist, won the women’s 800m in 2:01.79.