The 27-year-old Allen, who missed an Olympic medal by one place last summer, is destined to start a National Football League career with the Philadelphia Eagles.

But this performance at the Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island might even put some doubt in his mind about returning to the Olympic arena.

Making the most of a helpful tailwind of 1.6 metres per second, 0.4mps inside the limit for legal records, Allen finished well clear of the Tokyo 2020 silver medallist and world indoor record holder at this new World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting.

Holloway, second on the all-time list with 12.81, just 0.01 off the world record set by Aries Merritt of the United States in 2012, could only clock 13.06, with Daniel Roberts third on 13.17.

With just two weeks to go until the United States trials for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, which start on July 15, current form is critical, and there was a timely flourish from home world champions over 100 and 200 metres, Christian Coleman and Noah Lyles respectively, both of whom have wildcards to defend their titles in Eugene.

Coleman had failed to make the top 20 so far this season but found his form as he built on a typically swift start and held on to win in 9.92sec.

He was chased to the line, however, by Jamaica’s 20-year-old rising talent Ackeem Blake, who clocked a personal best of 9.95.

Lyles, who has seen 18-year-old fellow American Erriyon Knighton top this season’s world list with 19.49sec, putting him fourth on the all-time list, won smoothly in 19.61, just 0.11 off his personal best, exclaiming after the line: “It’s fast, official, it’s fast!”

A little earlier home sprinter Aleia Hobbs had lowered her five-year-old personal best to 10.83sec, a meeting record, as she won the women’s 100m from fellow American Sha’Carri Richardson, who closed strongly but had to take second place in 10.85, with fellow compatriot Teahna Daniels third in 10.99.

Richardson returned later in the meeting having made a late request to double up over 200m, and she began celebrating early before crossing the line for victory in 22.38.

Having had to miss last year’s Olympics because of a three-month ban for a positive test for cannabis, Richardson’s spirits are rising ahead of the home World Championships.

"It feels peaceful, fulfilling," Richardson, running in a pink fishnet outfit, said.

"I’m glad I make the fans happy being back.

"I want to continue to thrive - I am the sun, I am the sunshine.

"I want people to know that you can be yourself, if you want to be sexy, if you want to be cute, if you want to express yourself in ways no one has done before, it’s OK."

Assisted by a maximum legal wind of 2mps, Alaysha Johnson - currently at the University of Oregon - won the 100m hurdles in 12.40sec, the second fastest run this season behind the 12.37 recorded by Puerto Rico’s Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn.

That took her clear of fellow Americans Tia Jones, who ran a personal best of 12.53, and world indoor bronze medallist Gabrielle Cunningham, who clocked 12.56.

That race was to have been contested by Sydney McLaughlin, but the women’s 400m hurdles Olympic champion and world record holder decided at fairly short notice not to contest it, nor to take part in the other race she had pencilled in, the women’s 400m flat.

In her absence Lynna Irby of the US earned a gun-to-tape win in 51.38sec.

Jesus Lopez of Mexico looked as if he had timed his final run in the men’s 800m perfectly to overhaul the man who had established a 10 metres lead earlier, Isaiah Jewett of the US.

But the Mexican was overtaken himself just before the line by home athlete Bryce Hoppel, who won in 1min 45.07sec.

Lopez was second in 1:45.16 as Jewett dropped to sixth and perennial pacemaker and fellow American Erik Sowinski resisted the temptation to peel away on the back straight to finish third in 1:45.50, punching the air in triumph as he crossed the line, with Rio 2016 bronze medallist Clayton Murphy of the US fourth in 1:45.62.

Victory in the women’s shot went to the victor of last year’s US Olympic trials, Jessica Ramsey, with 18.90 metres, from Jamaica’s Danniel Thomas-Dodd, who threw 18.40m, and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Raven Saunders of the US, whose best was 17.92m.

Panama’s Gianna Woodruff won the women’s 400m hurdles in a meeting record of 54.35sec.

The women’s 800m was won by world indoor champion Ajee Wilson of the US in 2min 00.62sec from compatriot Allie Wilson in 2:00.80.